Worlds Apart
by SimplyPocky
Summary: Spirit accumulates a large debt, one he cannot pay off alone, forcing Maka to have to take up work at ChupaCabra's. She's willing to do what's necessary to earn the money as long as that doesn't require selling her body. But what happens when Soul Evans appears, offering to clear her debt if she agrees to be his personal toy?
1. The Debt

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 1: The Debt**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

* * *

Maka couldn't believe her insensitive Papa had gotten her into this mess. He always just did whatever he wanted and never worried about the repercussions. This time, however, he had dragged her into his problems.

Maka sat next to her father on a lush couch. Her features were hard, while her Papa trembled next to her. She was devising a plan, while said Papa sniffled and cried. She remained calm, while he begged for forgiveness.

"I promise to pay you back, just give me some time!" Spirit cried out, tears pouring down his cheek. Maka rolled her eyes at her Papa's inutility. Could he be anymore pathetic?

"Spirit, I've given you time. Over three months time! Maybe it was a little unfair of me to expect you to pay all that money back in such a short time, but you could have payed me _something_," said the yakuza boss. Short, fat and grubby he leered at Spirit with a wry smile on his face.

Spirit had no response to that. He only looked down at his lap and sniffed pathetically. Maka sighed and decided it was time she said something. Spirit obviosuly wasn't.

"I'm sure we can work something out Mr. Kagami. My Papa isn't responsible, but I am. I can get you your money." Maka said confidently, though she was a little shaky inside. She couldn't show fear though. Yakuzas could sense fear.

"Oh, I know you can, Maka-chan. Which is why I had your father bring you here tonight. He's always telling the girls about how beautiful and intelligent his daughter is. I see that he wasn't exaggerating." He said, revealing several missing teeth when he grinned. Maka resisted the urge to shudder.

"Yes, so if you just give us a little time, I'm sure I can get your money back." Maka said, giving an innocent smile to help seal the deal. She thought it had worked, but then Mr. Kagami laughed.

"You think you can get me $720,000 in three months?" Mr. Kagami said sarcastically. Maka's jaw dropped and she turned to her father who looked away guiltily.

"How do you manage to blow so much money in a freaking brothel!" Maka exploded.

"Our girls don't come cheap." Mr. Kagami interjected, but Maka ignored him.

"Papa, how did you expect to pay that back? You're a freaking high school teacher!"

This was absolutely incredulous. So much money, so little time. How could she get out of this? No matter how smart Maka was, she couldn't come up with an escape plan. They were trapped.

"Don't worry, Maka-chan. I'm sure we can work something out." Mr. Kagami interrupted her train of thought. Maka turned to him, wary of any plans he might have.

"What did you have in mind?" She ventured cautiously.

"How about you work in my brothel until the money is payed back." He said and Maka's eyes grew in horror. There was no way in hell. He sensed her fear and quickly continued, "Listen you don't have to _do_ anything with the clients, just keep them company. Get them in the mood to buy. However, if you think you have a better way of getting my money, then do whatever you want. You have two months."

"Two months! Most people don't even make close to that amount in a year!" Maka exclaimed.

Mr. Kagami's condescending gaze turned to that of anger as he glared at Maka.

"Who do you think you're yelling at? I gave you a generous offer. Anyone else would be at the bottom of a lake by now. Don't take advantage of my kindness, Miss Albarn. Working at _ChupaCabra_ is the most practical way for you to get me my money, but if you think you can get it through other means, then do as you please. You have 60 days."

Maka was silent as she weighed her options. There wasn't much that a seventeen year old girl could do. She couldn't work full-time, she still had to think about school, but putting that aside, there was no job that would put even a dent in that amount in two months. She didn't have a choice.

"I won't have sex with any of the customers." Maka muttered.

"Even I'm not so cruel that I would make you do that, Maka-chan." Mr. Kagami's smile returned. He must have felt quite triumphant. He had won.

"No, Maka, you don't have to-" Spirit started, but Maka cut him off with a sharp look.

"Just...Just be quiet, Papa. I'm doing what I have to do. You weren't worried about this when you were sleeping with those women, running up a bill you knew you couldn't afford."

Spirit again fell silent as a bouncer pulled him out of his seat.

"Your daughter will be in my care for the time being. As soon as the debt as been payed, she will be released." Mr. Kagami snapped his finger and the bouncer led Spirit away. He called out to Maka, but she ignored him until the door shut behind them.

"Come, Maka-chan, allow me to show you around."

.

Soul Evans stepped out of his car and stood in front of his favorite cabaret, _ChupaCabra. _He hadn't visited the place in a while and he decided to catch up with some old...aquaintances. He stepped into the shabby building and immediately heard the loud and obnoxious voice of his best friend.

"Hahahaha! Of course I'm amazing, I don't need you to tell me that. I'm the great Black Star, heir of the Shinobi-Star Corporation."

Soul smirked and went over to the booth. He saw Black Star, his arm draped around two women, several bottles already emptied on the table. Looks like he had started the party without him.

"Hey, I see you didn't bother waiting on me." Soul greeted.

The women at the booth instantly brightened up. They sat up a little straighter, pushed their boobs up a little higher and graced him with their most seductive smile. Black Star glanced at his friend and grinned.

"The great Black Star waits for no man!" He exclaimed. Soul only shook his head and took a seat. A cute red head next to him instantly handed him a glass, pouring him some of the expensive alcohol Black Star had already taken the liberty of buying.

"It's been so long since you've been here, Soul. We missed you," cooed one of Soul's favorite girls, Blair. She moved next to him, laying her head on his shoulder, her hand on his lap and continued to whisper sweet nothings in his ear.

He only half listened, however. He had came here for one thing and one thing only: to get laid. However, there was a certain minimum amount of money he had to spend before Blair could allow him to do _that_. That's why, when a waitor walked by, he quickly ordered their most expensive wine.

"I see you're in the spending mood tonight, Soul. Do you have something planned for later?" Blair asked, already knowing the answer. Soul gave her a crooked smile,

"Ignorance isn't cute, Babe. You should already know what I have planned for you."

Anyone else would have thought the comment rude, but Blair only laughed it off. To expect any kindness from the blunt Soul was asking too much. He said what he wanted, he did what he wanted and he dared anyone to say anything about it.

.

Maka Albarn emerged from the changing room, clad in a short chiffon black dress and red pumps. She nervously tugged at the dress and wobbled in her heels, but she did her best to remain poised.

"You look wonderful," Mr. Kagami said with a cunning smile. "Ready to work?"

"Yes." Maka muttered, glaring down at her feet.

"Tsk. Tsk. Don't have that attitude while you're catering to the customers, Maka-chan. Any money you lose me, I'll add to your debt." He said darkly and Maka frowned, "Smile, flirt, your job is to get them to spend money on you. After they spend $20,000 they're allowed to take a girl to bed, but you can just get one of the other girls to do it instead. Tell them you're still in your "training period", they'll know what it means."

Maka nodded and allowed Mr. Kagami to lead her into the lounge. She saw that it was already packed, the sound of loud chatter feeling the air. There didn't seem to be much to the brothel. There were booths everywhere and men just sat around, flirting with women and spending money on expensive drinks and delicacies. But Maka knew that in the back, it was an entirely different world.

She prayed that Mr. Kagami held true to his word and didn't force her to have to do _that._

"Since it's your first time, I'll put you in a group. Once you gain some experience, you'll be able to attend to a customer on your own." Mr. Kagami said as he led Maka to a table in the corner.

There were two men at the table who didn't seem to be much older than her and three other women. They were all laughing at something, but stopped abruptly when Mr. Kagami approached. The women instantly stood and bowed in respect.

"M-Mr. Kagami, is something wrong?" Stammered a pretty red-head. Maka took in her short teased hair, her tight leapord miniskirt and midriff tank, the fact that she wore too much makeup and her heels looked much too high to even walk in. This was what she had to become to earn the money she needed? She didn't like it, but she would do what was necessary to get out of this place.

"Nothing is wrong, Alice, calm down." Mr. Kagami spoke, holding up a hand. Alice seemed to physically relax, as did the other girls who took a seat. The men at the booth seemed both annoyed and confused.

"Can we help you with something?" Asked a man with silvery hair. He was tall, clad in a dark suit, with menacing red eyes. He lazily lounged on the sofa, his arm draped around a busty girl with purple hair. His eyes flickered to Maka and then away. She wasn't going to make much money if men wouldn't even acknowledge her.

"Oh no, please continue. I just wanted to introduce you to our new girl, Maka-chan. She's still learning the ropes, you know, the "training period", and I just wanted her to get familiar with how things work here. Mind if I leave her in your care?" Mr. Kagami said politely, a kind business smile on his face.

"Whatever." Soul said and turned his attention back to the girl with purple hair. He whispered something in her ear and she giggled before pouring him another drink. Maka inwardly groaned, but took a seat at the edge of the sofa.

Mr. Kagami gave her a pointed look before leaving. She sighed and leaned back on the sofa. She needed to come up with a plan. Maka wasn't cut out for this line of work, but how could she make enough money in such little time? It was impossible! Well, it was better than selling her body. Though this still felt degrading in its own way.

"So, Maka, are you shy?"

Maka glanced up and realized the other girl, another beauty with short pink hair, was talking to her. She had a playful smile on her face, but Maka could tell she was picking a fight. Especially by the patronizing way she spoke to her.

"No, just trying to get my bearings. First day and all, you know?" Maka said honestly, a tight smile on her face. It wouldn't be good if she got into a fight on her first day. She was known to have a short-temper and to throw punches when provoked, but she wouldn't get away with that here. Mr. Kagami might just revoke his "kindness".

"Aw, nervous? That's so cute." The girl said, making a cutesy face as she layed her head on the shoulder of the other man at the booth. This one wasn't like the silver-headed guy. He was loud, clearly drunk (though Maka inquired that this might be his usual behavior) and quite annoying. He was still handsome though, unlike many of the other men that inhabited this place.

"Leave her alone, Kim. Jeez, you always have to pick on the new girls." The purple haired girl spoke and then turned her attention to Maka.

"My name is Blair. It's nice to meet you, Maka-chan. That's Alice," she said pointing to the red head, "and you've met Kim," she glanced at the pink-haired girl who was no longer paying any attention. "And these are two of our _favorite_ customers, Soul Evans and Black Star."

"It's nice to meet you both." Maka said, hating how she had to put on such a fake smile. Soul glanced at her and smirked and Maka wondered what was so funny.

"You know, even if you're faking it, you should at least make it believable." Soul said with a wink. There must have been some inside joke Maka didn't know about because Blair cracked up over this.

"You know, just because I am, doesn't mean you have to call me out. Afterall, I'm just giving you your money's worth." Maka snapped back. Which was more or less true. It's not like she had made anything yet, why put on such airs. Especially for a pompous asshole.

"Maka." Blair hissed. Maka rolled her eyes. This job clearly wasn't going to work out for her. She wasn't very good at handling men. Most of them were idiots that annoyed the hell out of her and the few decent ones wouldn't even notice her. How could she go from zero experience with the opposite sex to seducing them to make money.

_Stupid Papa, we're both going to end up at the bottom of a lake with the way this is going,_ Maka thought to herself.

But, to Maka's surprise, this seemed to amuse Black Star. He laughed loudly and hit the couch in a dramatic fashion.

"Well that's new. Never met a girl that talked back to Soul before." He continued to laugh, wiping a tear away. "Waiter, let me get a bottle of _ChupaCabra's_ House Wine. We need to celebrate this moment!"

Maka smiled at this. Maybe she didn't have to change to get the money she needed. Maybe there were some men that would like her attitude just fine. Maka glanced up at Soul who was glaring at her. Well, she couldn't please them all.

"So, Albarn, what made you start working here? I know these three are just a bunch of whores trying to make a quick buck, but what about you?" Black Star asked, his speech now a little slurred. Maka, however, wasn't far behind him. Upon Black Star's request, she had taken up the seat between him and Soul, forcing Kim to move. Much to her chagrin. But being in the middle put you right in front of the booze and she couldn't _not_ drink.

Maka had always been a lightweight though.

"You wouldn't believe it, Black Star! My stupid Papa got this huuuuge debt and now _I_ have to help him pay it off! I have, like, two months to pay back all this money!"

"That's-That's so sad, Maka-chan. Here, let me help you. Waiter, can I have your _ChupaCabra_ Pastry Tray and another bottle of the House Wine!" Black Star shouted. "There, that's like, $5,000 right there, Maka-chan."

"Black Staaaar, you're so nice!" Maka said, feeling like she was going to cry. Never had someone done something so sincere for her. She didn't know that he was shit-faced and she wasn't far behind, but she just went with the flow. Not really a strategy, but it worked.

"How boring." Kim chimed from her end of the sofa where she sipped her drink.

"Then maybe you should go entertain some other guests, Kim." Alice said as she snuggled closer to Black Star. He looked like he was about to pass out. The best time to get them to empty their pockets.

"What's with this treatment? As soon as this newbie shows up all of you start treating her like you're old-time friends!" Kim exclaimed.

"Hey, I don't know what your problem is," Maka felt the room tilt a bit, "with me, but you need to stop." She finished, pointing an accusing finger. Was that the best she could do?

"My problem is you. Is that how you make money? Getting the customers to feel sorry for you? Pathetic." Kim snapped. Maka felt her anger flare, sobering her up enough to retaliate and making her cheeks flush with furry.

"H-Hey now, let's just calm down, ne? Blair doesn't want anyone to start fighting, ne?" Blair said from her spot next to Soul. Soul, however, was enjoying this. By now he would have been in the back, fucking Blair, but he had decided to stick around. Just because he found this newbie to be a little amusing. But mainly because he knew this moment would eventually come.

"What's pathetic is how you make this kind of job into a competition. I don't care what methods I have to use, as long as I don't have to sell my body, it's fine with me. You, however, need to get out more. When you start taking a job like this seriously and turning it into a game, you've completely lost yourself. That's what I call pathetic." Maka said simply, as if she was talking a child.

"You bitch!" Kim had quickly leaped over Blair and Soul's feet, her hand raised high. Maka, though still tipsy, was ready. All those years of karate had prepared her for such a moment. She easily redirected Kim's force and put her foot out, causing the girl to trip. Kim, unable to get her balance, plummeted right onto the table and into the tray of pastries.

"Looks like we're going to need more food." Black Star laughed.

"Don't ever raise your hand to me again." Maka said and sat back in her seat, finishing her drink off. Soul watched her with amusement and also sipped his own drink. Maka Albarn was definitely entertaining. If only because Soul knew that this girl didn't belong here.

And maybe her attitude was a little cute...

.

Another hour later and it was close to closing time. Black Star was nearly unconscious and he layed in Alice's lap as she stroked his blue hair. Maka yawned and turned her attention to Soul and Blair who were still glued together. She was whispering something in his ear, but he didn't seem to be paying attention, only looking off and sipping his drink distractedly.

"Hey, what is it that you do?" Maka asked after a moment. Soul looked at her and she returned his gaze.

"Maka, we're not suppose to ask about our Client's personal life." Blair hissed again, but Maka ignored her.

"You said your last name is Evans, right? Where have I heard that name before," Maka tapped her chin in thought when it finally came to her.

"Oh, you're part of that family of musicians! That's so cool. Wes Evans, is he your brother? I once heard a composition by him it was so beautiful." Maka said dreamily.

"If you like his music, you have terrible taste." Soul said, clearly annoyed.

"Eh? You don't think he's a good violinist?" Maka asked, not sensing Soul's irritation.

"No, he's great, but there is no feeling in his music. It's as cold as he is."

Maka pondered this. His music, did in fact, seem quite droll.

"Then what do _you_ play, Soul Evans?" Maka asked.

"I don't play anything." Soul said darkly.

Maka was just about to ask him another question when a loud voice said,

"Closing time: 10 minutes!"

"Huh? What was that?" Black Star said, suddenly sitting up.

"We're about to close. Want me to call you a cab?" Alice asked.

"Nope, I'll catch a ride with Soul. Your driver is here, right?" Black Star asked, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, can we get the bill?" Soul asked a passing waiter. Maka realized this was one of only two waiters in the whole establishment. How frustrating it must be to wait on a bunch of horny, drunk men all night.

Soul received the bill, glanced at it, and handed a shiny black card to the waiter. He returned a moment later, handed the card back and both Soul and Star got up to leave.

"Aw, Soul, you must come back tomorrow. We didn't even get to spend any time together. _Alone_, I mean." Blair cooed seductively as she wrapped her arm around Soul. Soul smirked at this and glanced over his shoulder at Maka who had taken the liberty of sprawling out on the couch.

"Yeah, I'll definitely be back. Good night."

"Good night! Please come again," Alice and Blair both said at the same time. Soul glanced over his shoulder again at the sleeping girl on the couch. In just a few hours, he had her figured out.

Underage, possibly a high schooler. A nerd, which explains why she's so uptight. Temperamental, the reason Kim is somewhere nursing a few bruises. Definitely an innocent victim in her father's stupidity. Soul wondered how big her debt was and what would happen to the girl if she couldn't pay it off.

He then wondered how long she thought she could last with that "no sleeping with the customers policy" before she realized one night could probably solve all her problems.

He then wondered if she was a virgin, but it was a fleeting thought that was quickly replaced by the idea of taking her to bed himself. He wondered if Black Star was thinking the same thing.

He glanced at his intoxicated friend as they sat in the backseat of the car. He seemed out of it, but he was conscious. Good enough.

"Hey, Black Star." Soul started.

"Hm?"

"What do you think about that Maka girl."

"Maka-chan? I like her, she's fun. Why do you ask?"

"Would you sleep with her?" Soul asked.

The man was silent for a moment as he pondered this question.

"Yeah, probably." He finally answered.

Never had Soul wanted to throw his friend out of a moving vehicle as much as he wanted to at that moment. He didn't even really know the girl, yet he felt he had claim on her already. This could be problamatic.

.

"We did pretty good tonight. A little over $14,000." Blair said as she glanced at the chart in the changing room. Every girl's name was posted on the board and it listed their earnings for the evening.

"Why didn't I get as much as you guys?" Kim grumbled from beside Alice. She glanced at Maka, probably attributing this to what happened earlier.

"Probably because you started a fight and left early." Alice said dryly, which caused Kim to grumble and walk away.

"$13,500." Maka said as she looked at her name. Not bad. If she kept up that pace she could pay her debt back in just the nick of time. And if she got clients like Black Star and Soul, it wouldn't be so bad. A little alcohol in her system couldn't hurt either.

"Well, I'm going home. See you guys tomorrow night." Blair said, waving good-bye.

"Yeah, I have a test in a few hours. I better get some rest." Alice said, stiffling a yawn.

"Same here. I don't know how I'm going to keep my grades up and work here at the same time." Maka said as she followed Alice to the door.

"It is hard, but you can manage. What university do you go to?" Alice asked.

"University? Um, I go to Death City High School." Maka said sheepishly.

There was a long moment of silence before Alice exclaimed,

"You're still in high school!"

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

So what do you guys think? It's the start of a new series and my first Soul Eater fic. Comments/Reviews are much appreciated.


	2. The Offer

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 2: The Offer**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

* * *

Maka arrived home at a quarter to 3AM. She sighed once she got into her apartment, quickly slipping off the annoying heels. She leaned against the door and took a moment to collect herself. It had been a long evening, but it wasn't unbearable. It would be naive to expect every night to be like her first, but she could hope.

But, putting that aside, Maka still had a life. Though paying off the debt was top priority, Maka couldn't let that consume her life. She would go mad. She had school in less than five hours, she hadn't done her homework, but she was too exhausted to worry about any of that.

Maka, without even changing, quickly fell asleep on the sofa. If she been more aware, or even cared, she would have realized Spirit was not at home. And a note sat in the kitchen, waiting to be read.

.

Maka was up again at 7AM, still exhausted, but ready to start the day. She had a dream about the brothel and, when she awoke, she had thought that it was only a terrible nightmare. After she showered and dressed, she went to the kitchen to eat a quick breakfast before she went off to school.

There she saw it.

A note was magnetized to the refrigerator. Maka didn't immediately go to look at it, but instead, fixed herself a bowl of cereal. She grabbed it as she sat down with her breakfast. She read the contents, reread it, and read it a third time until she had practically memorized every word of it.

_Maka, I'm sorry I've gotten you into this mess. I'm a terrible father, I know, but I'm going to try to fix this. I'm not abandoning you Maka, I'll be back. Don't give up and just keep working hard._

She set the letter down and stared at her cereal until she saw tears drip into the bowl. Maka hadn't cried since her mother left twelve years ago. Dispite Spirit promising to return, she really had her doubts. She had been abandoned.

.

Maka did not go to school that day. She sat on her sofa all day, clutching the letter in her hand. She didn't eat, she didn't cry, she just stared off. Millions of thoughts ran through her head. What would happen to her now? Would her Papa return? Should she go on the run too?

She was not able to answer any of the questions, but when 7 o'clock came around, she found herself walking to ChupaCabra's. She arrived about thirty minutes later to a very happy Mr. Kagami.

"Ah, I've been waiting for you." Mr. Kagami greeted the girl.

"Thought I'd runaway?" Maka asked dryly, but Mr. Kagami only smiled.

"Of course not. I have complete and utter trust in you, Maka. You're not stupid."

Maka rolled her eyes as she continued to the changing room, Mr. Kagami right behind her. There she saw her outfit for the night waiting, a short form-fitting pink dress and black pumps. She turned to Mr. Kagami, signaling for him to leave, but the man seemed like he had something to say.

"Do you need something, Mr. Kagami?" Maka asked, clearly annoyed. Mr. kagami either didn't notice or ignored her because he continued to smile as he spoke,

"As a matter of fact, I do, Maka-chan. You seemed to have done very well last night because you have a request. He's a very important customer, make sure to keep him happy." And with that he left, a happy bounce in his step.

Maka sighed as she got ready. She slipped on the dress and shoes and released her hair from her pigtails. She added some mascara and lipstick and looked at herself in the mirror. It was only her second day and she already couldn't recognize the person in the mirror.

She was losing herself.

.

Maka was led into the lounge and she immediately zeroed in on Soul and Black Star. They were seated at their same sofa with the same girls. They were all laughing at something, just like yesterday. Maka smiled and began to walk toward the group, but Mr. Kagami suddenly appeared.

"Maka-chan, where are you going? Your client is this way, Dear." Maka must have looked horrified because Mr. Kagami's smile dropped. He took a step closer to her and whispered harshly,

"Do NOT mess this up. Just do whatever you did with that group last night." Mr. Kagami said and ushered her toward a corner of the room. There she saw a man, middle-aged, a perverted smile on his face. He eyed her as Mr. Kagami introduced her, "This is Maka-chan. She's one of our new girls."

"It's nice to meet you, Maka-chan." The man said and patted the spot next to him. Maka swallowed and cautiously took a seat next to him. He smiled as he leaned back, placing an arm behind her.

"Please enjoy your evening." Mr. Kagami said kindly and strolled away.

Maka was left with the man and she searched her mind as to what to do next.

"Um, w-what's your name?" Maka started, twiddling her thumbs.

She wasn't sure what was so amusing, but the man laughed.

"Call me Jonah."

.

Soul saw her enter the room, she was hard to miss. Maka wasn't flamboyant or anything, but she had a subtle beauty about her. Something that didn't belong in this place of skimpy whores with made-up faces. But Soul wasn't the only one that noticed this girl. Obviously, others had too because he watched her go to a table in the corner with another man.

"Hey, isn't that Maka-chan? Aww, she won't be with us tonight?" Black Star said as he took a shot. He didn't seem to really care, not with the way Alice was rubbing his thigh.

"Oh, that's Jonah-san. He's a real pervert, likes all the young and...underdeveloped girls. I think he's a closet pedo. Fucks one every night, religiously." Blair said as she leaned against Soul.

"Blair, how much do you think Maka costs to reserve?" Soul asked.

"Hmm. She's young, cute, has that whole "innocent" thing going for her. I think she might even be a virgin. I'm guessing anywhere from $40,000-$50,000." Blair said thoughtfully.

"Woah, she's expensive. Just to reserve her is that much, add another $20,000 to fuck her. That Jonah guy must be a high-roller." Black Star said, laughing at the situation.

But Soul wasn't laughing. He didn't find any of this funny, in the least.

"I'll be right back." Soul said and stood.

"Where are you going?" Blair said, grabbing ahold of his arm as he walked pass her.

"To make a purchase." Soul said and pulled his arm free.

.

"You're so beautiful. How old are you, Maka-chan?"

Jonah ran the back of his hand against Maka's cheek, who did her best not to shudder. He had moved closer, their thighs now touched, his face was now closer.

"I-I'm 20." Maka lied. Jonah obviously knew this because he chuckled.

"No, that can't be. Lower." He said and moved his hand higher up her leg.

"19." Maka said as her breath hitched. His hand moved higher and he tsked.

"Lower."

"18." Maka whispered, holding back a sob as his hand slipped under her dress.

"Low-"

"Anything lower would be illegal, Jonah Satou."

Both looked up to see Soul standing there, his hands in his pocket, a mischievous smirk on his handsome face. Jonah immediately removed his hand as he attempted to laugh.

"Of course. I was only teasing. Can I help you with something, sir?" Jonah said tightly, obviously trying to maintain calm. Though, Maka wasn't sure what he had to be worried about.

"_Sir_? Mr. Satou, don't you remember who I am?" Soul said.

"Well now that you mention it-"

"Soul Evans, CEO of Evans Enterprise. We met a few weeks ago, when you came to our company requesting a loan. I heard your company wasn't doing so well, Mr. Satou."

"No, _you a_re Soul Evans? You don't look a day over 25. I thought the other man-"

"Was my friend, who helps out sometimes. EE is _my_ company, however."

"Well, who wants to talk about work? We're here to relax. Did you come here to give me the loan or something?" Jonah said, obviously aiming for a change of topic. Soul didn't falter though, he continued, with that same smirk.

"No, that would be stupid of me. I am here, however, to take that girl off your hands."

This shocked the hell out of Maka. She looked up at Soul, but he was watching Jonah.

"And why would you want to do that? It seems you have plenty of girls-"

"I don't want them. How much did you pay to reserve her?" Soul said.

Jonah seemed to be annoyed with constantly being cut off, because his friendly demeanor quickly turned hostile.

"$60,000. Much more than you payed for those cheap whores over there."

"I'll give you $100,000 for her." Soul said, still smirking.

"Why should I give you to her? Why would you want her so much?"

"Because she doesn't belong here. Especially with a pervert like you, Mr. Satou."

Jonah flushed at this, both from embarrassment and anger.

"Please return to your seat, Mr. Evans." Jonah growled.

"Rejecting my offer? Then perhaps I should buy out that company of yours. I've been meaning to expand lately."

Jonah paled at this and stared at Soul in horror.

"Why would you do that? Just for some whore?"

Soul shrugged and reached out for Maka. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her from Jonah. She was still trying to understand what was going on. What she did understand, however, was that she was being traded and sold like some object.

"If you still want the money, a transaction is waiting at the front desk. Have a nice day, Mr. Satou."

And Soul pulled her away, but not back to his sofa, where everyone was watching them, but to the door. Mr. Kagami stood there, greeting guests and Maka could only look on in horror.

"Have a good evening. Do your best Maka-chan." Mr. Kagami said as Soul pulled her through the door.

.

"Please explain to me what's going on." Maka snapped as Soul tried to get her into his vehicle.

"Well, I bought you for the evening." Soul said simply, as if it were obvious.

"I can see that, but why are we leaving?"

"Would you rather stay in that brothel?"

"It's better than leaving with some man I don't know!" She exclaimed.

"What if I told you I could help you clear your debt?"

"M-My debt? How do you know about that?" Maka said, startled.

"Get in the car."

But it's not like she really had a choice. She glanced behind her and saw Mr. Kagami watching. She didn't know who this Soul was, he could be a serial killer for all she knew, but better to die at the hands of a handsome man than at the bottom of a lake.

Yes, her reasoning made no sense.

She got in the car and Soul closed the door as he walked around to the driver's seat.

"Are you sober enough to drive?" Maka asked, eyeing him carefully for signs of intoxication.

"I didn't have a single drink tonight." He assured her as he cranked the car to life. He pulled away from the parking spot and was soon flying down the road. She was sure he was going too fast, but she didn't comment. She had more important things to talk about.

"How do you know about my debt?" She asked again.

"You were talking about it yesterday when you were drunk. How much is it?"

"A lot." She said simply. He rolled his eyes at this.

"I could only imagine since you're forced to work there. Now, how much?"

"And why do you care?"

"Are you always so defensive? Can't you see when someone is trying to help you?"

"And why would you want to help me?"

He let out an exasperated laugh. She was like a stray animal, wary but not untamable.

"Fine. I was going to offer you an ulterior than having to work in that place. You know, it's only a matter of time before the owner makes you start sleeping with the customers. How many girls do you think have been in your position, Maka?"

Maka was silent as she pondered this, but she eventually gave in.

"Around $700,000 now." Maka muttered and cringed when Soul whistled.

"An amazing amount. Your father must be weak to those girls. A little flirtation and some promised sex, it's not a surprise that someone would spend so much money there." Soul said, clearly finding this amusing.

"My father is a selfish idiot." Maka said, thinking back on the letter. She sniffed as she felt her eyes water, "He left me to clear this debt on my own. He's terrible."

"He left you?" Soul said, actually looking at her now. She was staring down at her lap, but Soul could have sworn he saw a tear fall. "Aren't you still underage?"

Her head shot up at that and she looked horrified.

"How do you know that?"

"If anyone really cared to look, you can tell that you're definitely not in your 20s yet. Eighteen at the most, but from your reactions, I take it you're younger. And inexperienced."

"I'm seventeen. But that doesn't seem to matter to Mr. Kagami."

"Guys like him only care about getting their money back. No matter how low they have to stoop or what means they have to use, they'll get it back." Soul said darkly. Maka, however, already knew this.

"And how do you come into this, Soul?" Maka asked, wiping her face and turning to him.

"Like I said, I'm going to help you."

"How?"

"You will come and work for me. I'll pay you a salary and you'll have that debt cleared off in no time." Soul said with a crooked smile.

"And what exactly do I have to do?" She growled, suspicious of the man.

"You'll be my live-in maid." He said and watched as her face paled. She was really quite amusing.

"WHAT!"

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

Maka's offer to be a maid was the first job I could think of that required her to work closely with Soul. It is not permanent and I do not intend on leaving her in that position for long. But you will all have to wait and find out what I _do_ have in plan for our little Maka.


	3. The Job

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 3: The Job**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

* * *

Soul Evans was every bit as wealthy as Maka had expected. He lived in a posh condo, one she had passed by several times before, but never paid any attention to. She suspected that snobby, rich people lived inside, but she never expected she would be living here too.

After Maka's freak-out, Soul finally calmed her down enough to ask where she lived. Maka, a little reluctantly, told him. He drove to the small and shabby apartment she called home and told Maka to gather her things. She was confused, at first, but Soul was quick to remind her of The Offer.

One of the requirements being that she lived with him. She was still a little suspicious of that.

_"I don't see why I have to live with you." Maka said, giving Soul a skeptical look._

_"Plenty of people have live-in maids. Besides, I'm hardly ever home, it shouldn't be a problem."_

_"Oh? Then where are you all the time?" She asked, raising a delicate eyebrow._

_He smiled, sensing that she was trying to trap him, "Business trips."_

And that was the end of that.

Now Maka followed Soul into the condo, a bellboy carrying her luggage behind them. There wasn't much. One suitcase of clothes, one suitcase of books. Soul was more than a little surprised when she emerged from her room with only two bags.

_"Is that all you're bringing?" He asked as he, to her surprise, took her bags to carry._

_"It's all I have." She muttered sheepishly, walking past him to the door._

_"Well, I guess I could include some new clothes into your salary." He said and Maka spun around to face him._

_"I don't need you to do that for me." She said, sensing that she was being pitied._

_"Think of it as one of my terms." He said and strolled pass her and out of the apartment._

Which reminded her, they had yet to go over these "terms".

Which is why, as soon as Soul got his apartment door opened, she was ready to pounce on him with questions. She, however, was quickly stunned silent when she caught a glimpse of the inside. It was disgisting. No, it was so much more than that. It was a disaster. A hoarding disaster!

"T-This place..." She breathed, which might have been a mistake on her part. She wasn't sure the air was safe to breathe in. It sure didn't _smell_ safe.

"Yeah, it's a little messy." He said as he tipped the bellboy who made a quick escape. Maka wished she could follow his lead, but, unfortunately, Soul closed the door. Sealing her escape.

"A little..." Maka agreed, shaking her head as she took in the room. To her surprise, there wasn't much to it. The living area was quite bare with only a sofa, a large television and a tea table. The tea table was enveloped with magazines, old food containers and empty beer cans. The floor was littered with more trash, piles of dirty clothes and Maka could have sworn she saw some movement in the corner of the room.

"Yeah, come on, I'll show you the rest of the place." He said, motioning to her. Maka sighed and grabbed her bags as she followed him. She saw the kitchen, which had a sink piled high with dirty dishes, a table covered in moldy food and a floor that was so caked on with dirt, Maka thought about advising Soul to pull it up and replace it.

She followed him down the hallway, which was full of tied up garbage bags. She saw the bathroom that could not have been used in a very long time since it smelled terrible and the shower was so disgusting she might come out dirtier if she bathed in it.

Soul opened his room and Maka glanced in. It was not quite as messy as the other rooms, but it still wasn't acceptable. His desk was piled high with papers and folders, his bed was unmade and there were more clothes all over the floor.

"Soul, have you ever tried cleaning up?" Maka asked as he closed the door and led her to her own room. She was not looking forward to seeing this.

"Like I said, I'm not home very much." He muttered, a little embarrassed about the condition of his home. And he should be. He stopped in front of the final door at the end of the hallway and opened it. "This is your room."

It was possibly the cleanest room in the house. There was a bed, a nightstand, a closet and a few boxes. Other than that, it was perfect.

"Don't come in here much?" Maka asked as she set her bags down.

"Nope." He said simply. "So, what do you want to do?"

"It's almost ten, I want to go to bed." She said as she began unzipping her bag. "I want to take a shower, but that doesn't seem to be an option."

"Yeah, I guess that should be at the top of your To Do list." Soul said with a smirk and Maka rolled her eyes.

"Which reminds me, we haven't exactly established any terms." She said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "Like my salary."

"Oh, I almost forgot about that." Maka glared at him. "You need the money in two months, right? That means I'll have to pay you about $88,000 a week. Amazing."

"Might I remind you this was _your_ idea." She said, narrowing her eyes. If he decided to change his mind, Maka wasn't sure what she would do. Murder was definitely an idea.

"Yeah, I have the money. That's not a problem." He said with a cunning smile. "As for the terms, you'll work seven days a week. This house needs to be spotless and I'll expect dinner waiting when I get home."

"I have my own life, you know." She spoke up, crossing her arms.

"Are you saying that's more important than your job? Would you rather go back to that brothel?" He said, raising an eyebrow at her sudden obstinance.

"I'm still a student and I have exams to worry about. I leave every morning at eight for school and I get back around three. I also need to look into getting another part-time job. All the money you give me goes toward my debt, but I still need cash in my pocket. I have college tuition to think about." She said, her gaze never wavering.

Soul let out a sigh and rubbed his temples, "You really are difficult, Maka."

"I don't think I should give up on my future because of this setback." She retorted.

"Yeah, you shouldn't." He said, his cunning smile returning. "Fine, you can go to school, but no part-time job. I'll give you money, but in return I'll add another term."

"And what might that be?" She asked, but he only smiled.

"You'll see. Good-night, Maka."

And with that, Soul strolled out of the room, closing the door behind him. Maka let out a heavy sigh as she collapsed onto the floor. Maka couldn't tell if she should feel grateful that Soul took her in or if she would have been better off at the brothel.

It was too soon. There were many problems with this arrangment, the main one being that she didn't trust Soul, but perhaps it would work out. Perhaps Soul, under that snobby attitude, was really a decent guy.

.

_"Hey..."_

Soul Evans rolled over in his bed, sighing in content as his head fell onto a cooler part of his pillow.

_"Hey, Soul..."_

Someone was calling his name. Was it another one of _those_ dreams. He felt slightly conscious though and he could tell there was light streaming through his window. He kept his eyes closed though, trying to embrace the possible dream.

"SOUL!"

He was startled awake. This definitely wasn't a dream. Girls in his dream didn't yell at him. Soul turned over and looked at the girl before him. He was disoriented. Why was there a girl in his house? He didn't invite women into his house. Her hands were on her hip, her hair was in two pony tails and she was dressed in a school girl outfit. Oh yeah, he _was_ dreaming. How nice. He always did have a thing for blondes.

"Hey, beautiful." He said tiredly and the girl's cheeks flushed before her features hardened.

"Are you talking in your sleep? Get up already!" She said and yanked the covers off of him. Which might have been a mistake on her part since he was clad in only a pair of boxers. However, this fully awoke the man and he sat up.

"Dammit, Maka, what?" He growled as she stared down at her feet, her cheeks pink.

"I-It's time to wake up. You'll be late for work." She said and turned away, marching rigidly out of the room.

Soul scratched the back of his head and yawned as he climbed out of bed. As he stretched out his tired limbs he noticed that his room was a bit cleaner than it was yesterday. It was still a mess, with documents cluttering every surface, but the trash and dirty laundry seemed to have been cleaned up.

Soul also saw one of his suits hanging up on the back of his closet door. It was ironed and ready for wear. Soul smiled to himself. It was nice having a maid.

.

Maka switched off the stove as she removed the frying pan. She quickly set the sunny side up eggs on two plates, along with toast and marmalade and placed them on the, now clean, kitchen table. She poured two cups of coffee, placed the Death City newspaper on Soul's side of the table and took her place at the opposite end.

She quietly began to eat her food when Soul came into the kitchen. She watched as he looked around the spotless room. She had awoke three hours earlier so she could tackle some of this mess. She managed to clean up the bathroom and kitchen and, partly, Soul's room when she decided to call it quits and get ready.

Soul nodded in approval as he sat at his side of the table. He glanced down and raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" She asked midbite.

"I feel like a married couple." Soul joked and laughed as the girl began coughing furiously.

"Don't say weird things. I used to do this for my Papa every morning." She muttered.

"I see. Well, it's definitely different. I don't remember the last time I had breakfast." He said as he began to eat the food, which he deemed pretty good though a bit simple. Still, it gave him a nice feeling.

"It's the most important meal of the day." She muttered again.

"Then I guess I'll be couting on you from now on." He said with a wink and Maka hated herself when she flushed. She ate in silence and Soul sipped his coffee and read his newspaper. Maka couldn't help but think that they _did_ seem like a married couple.

Though, Soul was probably the last person she would ever marry.

"Did you play the piano?" Maka asked as she cleared off the table.

"What?" Soul replied.

"Did you play the piano?" She repeated, now turning to him.

"How did you-"

"I found it strange that the guest room was so clean. When I was moving those boxes around, I found piano sheet music. I thought it made sense. Your condo is lavish, but there's not really any room for a piano. So I thought you must have kept it in it's own room."

Soul stared at the girl as she leaned against the counter, waiting for him to respond. She really was perceptive. It both amazed and annoyed Soul. He let out a sigh and placed his newspaper down.

"I'm going to get going." He said as he stood up.

"Did I say something wrong? Do you not like talking about it." She asked, tilting her head.

"No, I don't. Your job is to clean, that's it. Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong." He snapped at her and she slinked away. It was the first time that Soul had ever seen her intimidated.

"I'm going to go." She said as she strolled out of the kitchen.

"Wait, Maka," Soul called as he followed after her. She was slipping on her jacket and he was about to reach out for her when she spun around. He quickly retracted his hand only for hers to reach out in return. She grabbed ahold of his tie and Soul felt his eyes widen.

However, it wasn't anything like the millions of scenerios that ran through his head at the moment. One of them being her strangling him with his own tie. Another one of her pulling him down for a searing kiss. Which he wouldn't have accepted, of course. Yeah, of course...

Maka, however, stared intensely at his tie as she fixed the awkward knot that he had made in it. Soul, in all honesty, had never learned how to tie a proper tie. The ladies at his office, however, were always eager to lend him a hand. None of them ever really offered to teach him though.

"Learn how to tie a proper tie." She said and turned away, opening the front door. But she stopped in the doorway and looked back at him over her shoulder. "And, Soul, I'm your maid now. I'm bound to learn things you might not want me to. If this is going to be a problem, tell me now."

And with that she left the condo. Soul was left to weigh her words. No, he didn't want people to know about his personal life or any of his problems. He had been aware from the start that this might happen, but he didn't count on it being so didn't need someone to snoop around. He liked his privacy thank you very much.

But even so, he just couldn't stay mad at that girl. Everything she asked were just innocent questions, no hidden motives behind them. Soul, faintly, remembered that not everyone had ulterior motives, but it was hard to trust anyone anymore.

Would it be a naive of him to put some faith in Maka Albarn?

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

Soul doesn't have some _terrible_ secret to hide, but I think everyone has a thing or two that they don't want others to know about. You'll have to wait and see what those secrets are. By the way, I'm deciding to leave Maka as a maid for now. I don't really have another job I would prefer her to have. Sorry to the people that were hoping she would become his assistant/secretary. That role has been filled...


	4. You're Hired

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 4: You're Hired**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

* * *

Maka did her best not to think about what would happen when she got home. She shouldn't have said that. Even if she learned things about Soul she wasn't suppose to know, that didn't mean she had to talk about it. She should have just kept her mouth shut. She was going to be fired. She was going to be sent back to that brothel. She was going to have to give up her body to men she didn't know.

"Maka Albarn!"

Maka's attention snapped up and she realized everyone was watching her.

"Y-Yes?" She said as the teacher tapped his foot impatiently.

"I've called your name three times now. What's the answer to question three." He growled.

Maka sighed and gave the answer. She couldn't let this drive her crazy. Even if she went back to the brothel or had to have sex with different men, she wouldn't let this ruin her life. She would pay her debt back, she would go on to college and she would continue to live her life. Because she was strong. She was strong.

.

"That was your last meeting of the day, Mr. Evans." Tsubaki said as she and Soul walked down the hallway of the office building. Soul was already loosening his tie, sighing in relief. It had been a hectic day. He couldn't wait to get back home. That was definitely a first.

"Good, I'm going to head out then. As soon as that contract is written up, you can too, Tsubaki." Soul said as they reached the door of his office. He opened it to reveal a tall blonde woman leaning against his desk. Soul let out another heavy sigh and looked at Tsubaki.

"Oh, and Elizabeth Thompson is here to see you." She said sheepishly, clutching her clipboard to her chest. Soul rolled his eyes and dismissed the young secretary who quickly scurried off. She was amazing at her job, but she really needed to grow a backbone. He had told Tsubaki several times to NOT let Liz into his office without his permission, but one look from the fiesty blonde and he knew the girl would cave. It was becoming a daily issue.

"Liz, what are you doing here?" He asked as he closed the door behind him.

"To see you, of course. You're all finished with work, right? How about you come back to my place. I'll make you dinner." She said as she walked up to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek softly. But Soul had other plans. Besides, Liz couldn't cook to save her life.

"Sorry, I'm just going to go home tonight." He said as he pryed her arms from around him. She tilted her head, giving him a confused look.

"You have a home, Soul? I thought you lived in hotel rooms." She joked, but stopped laughing when he glared at her. "Well, can I see your house?"

"No." He quickly said and walked to his desk. He scooped up some paperwork he needed to finish tonight and put it into his briefcase. Then he turned back to Liz and with a nod said, "Have a good evening, Liz."

And he walked out of the door. Liz, however, wasn't going to just let him go. She was the daughter of one of the most powerful men in Death City. She got whatever she wanted. And right now, she wanted Soul Evans.

"Soul, come on. I'll keep you company tonight. Doesn't that sound better than going back to an empty house?" She cooed as she latched onto his arm. He looked down at her, giving a smirk, and she thought she had finally won.

But Soul jerked his arm out of her grasp and said, "I have someone waiting for me."

And Liz was left to stare at Soul's back as he walked away. Who had taken her man away?

Liz frowned in disdain. She would find out and she would get rid of her.

.

Maka had just finished making dinner when she heard the front door open. She felt her heart accelerate in her chest as she walked to the living area. Soul was closing the door behind him when Maka took a deep breath and nervously said,

"W-Welcome home."

He looked up at her, slightly surprised, but it melted into a smirk.

"It's been years since someone welcomed me home." Soul said as he removed his jacket. Maka quickly took the jacket from him, sensing that he was about to drop it somewhere and forget about it. She also took his briefcase, but when she reached for a large bag in his other hand, Soul moved it out of her reach,

"Ah. Ah. Ah." He said and walked pass her. Maka tilted her head in confusion, but followed behind him. "What's for dinner?"

"U-Um, well based on the empty food containers I found in here, I figured you haven't been eating very well. So I made something filling and healthy." Maka said and watched as Soul took in the kitchen table. It was like something in a magazine, with everything placed perfectly and the food steaming beautifully. Soul heard his own stomach growl.

"Great." He said and quickly sat down. He grabbed his fork and knife and dug into his plate. Maka nervously stood there for a moment, twidling her thumbs before she also sat down. She nibbled at her own plate and Soul noticed that she kept giving him nervous glances. "What's wrong?"

"What! Nothing? I mean, nothing's wrong. Everything is fine, just fine. How was work?" She said and sipped her glass of water.

"It was...fine. How was school?"

"School? School was great, just great. Had a test today, I think I did good. Yeah. Maybe." She said and her grip on her glass tightened so much that Soul thought it might break in her grasp. "No, today was terrible!" She finally cried out, surprising Soul.

"Did something happen?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the angry face she was giving him.

"I spent all day worrying about if when you got home, you would fire me. I thought I would have to go back to that damn brothel. I thought I would have to have sex with sleezy businessmen. I was worrying about it all day! I think I failed that test. Oh god I'm going to have to retake it. That's more studying." She was rambling now and Soul cleared his throat to gain her attention.

"I'm not going to fire you." He said and took another bite of his food.

"You're not?" She asked, hating how she felt relief already overwhelming her.

"Nope, but I have another term." He said with a full mouth and Maka resisted the urge to shudder.

"I won't pry into your private life anymore, if that's what you mean." She said and he shook his head.

"You were right, it's not like I can hide it with you living here. I have a feeling I'll be spending more time here too since it's going to be a more...pleasant enviorment. Anyway, it's inevitable, right?"

"Right..." She said, giving him a suspicious look.

"But,"

"But?" She asked, leaning forward.

"I have some more terms."

"Like?"

"What happens here, stays here."

"Um, not that I _have_ anyone to tell, but I don't think I'll be rushing off to tell people that I'm a live-in maid for a disgusting businessman."

"You don't have any friends?" He asked and Maka sighed in frustration. Of course that was all he got out of that.

"Anything else?"

"You have to wear a uniform." He said and she was, again, left dumbfounded.

"Whatever, as long I get to keep the job." She said, now able to enjoy her dinner with peace of mind.

"Yeah, in fact, I have your uniform here." Soul said, kicking the bag to Maka. It slid across the polished floor and tipped over. Maka watched as a some sort of black and white cloth fell out and she reached down to retrieve it. She held it up and Soul nearly choked on his food at the look that crossed her face. She stared in horror at the french maid costume, but it quickly melted into anger.

"What the hell is this! I'm not wearing this, Soul!" She nearly screamed.

"Oh, but I thought it was okay as long as you could keep your job." He said teasingly and enjoyed the murderous look she was giving him.

"This is crossing it. This has to be harrassment or something." She growled, but he only waved her off.

"Of course not, it's just a uniform. It's one of the terms, Maka, if you wanna keep your job..."

"I get it. I get it." She said, clenching the fabric in her fist. He continued to watch her until she snapped, "What!"

"Well, aren't you going to put it on?" He asked and, if looks could kill, Soul was sure he would be suffering slowly right now.

Maka got up and stomped away and Soul chuckled as he ate his food. He knew she wouldn't wear it, but it was funny to watch her get so mad. She was just so damn fun to tease, he couldn't help it. Soul took another bite of his food, feeling more relaxed than he did all day. The food was good, the house was clean, he was laughing. He could get used to this.

"What the hell, Soul! This is so harrassment!" Soul heard her scream and he turned to see her standing in the doorway. Soul nearly choked on his food again, but for a completely different reason. Maka stood there, clad in her maid outfit. It stopped mid thigh with cuffed sleeves and lots of lace. Soul wished that she had put on the stockings and hat, but he was content with this.

"W-Wow, didn't think you would put it on." Soul said, fighting with all his power to keep his composure. Maka flushed brightly and she clenched her fists at her side.

"You said it was a term, so I put it on." She hissed and Soul shook his head in amusement.

"You're something else, Maka." He laughed and set his fork and knife down. "I'm going to go shower now, I have work to finish."

"So d-do I still have to wear this?" She asked and Soul stopped in front of her. He leaned down and Maka took a step back. He was so close, she could clearly see his handsome face and his crimson eyes. His teeth were magnificently white and there was a certain smell on him that Maka liked. Something like peppermint. But she also smelled something else, like perfume. Women's perfume.

"I was just kidding." He teased, sticking his tongue out. She seemed to snap out of something and Soul watched as her face flushed red and she bared her teeth in a menacing growl.

"You-You-"

"But if you wear it, I'll give you an extra $5000 a week. I'm sure that will help you with your college fees." He said with a wink.

"Oh, thank you for the kind offer, Mr. Evans, but I don't need it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go change now."

Soul watched as Maka walked away, her skirt swaying as her hips moved. He had to admit, she had a nice ass and nice legs...and a cute face and pretty hair. Who was he kidding, his maid was hot! Soul shook his head slightly, not at all happy about this realization. She was a high schooler. She was underage! He was suppose to be helping her, even if he was doing it mostly for his own amusement.

Soul was fully aware of the line he couldn't cross with the girl. But he could already tell it was going to be a battle.

.

Maka, on the other hand, was worrying about something else entirely. As she changed into her pajamas, millions of things were running through her head. The offer Soul gave her for some extra cash, the fact that she had a test to retake, the wonderment of that girly perfume that was sticking to Soul's clothes. She shook her head. She wouldn't pry. It's not that she cared anyway. Soul was obviously a player. He probably hit on all the girls at his job.

That wasn't her concern. She was only a maid, afterall.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

Yes, Tsubaki is the secretary and she will have a larger part later on. Liz is, obviously, an antagonist. Black Star will show up again in later chapters. Kid will also have a significant role in this series. I'm not exactly sure what Patty's role will be yet or what other characters will make an appearance. Well, look forward to the next installment, I hope to have it up soon to make up for this short chapter. Please review and thanks for reading!


	5. You're Missed

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 5: You're Missed**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

* * *

The rest of the week followed in a routine fashion. Maka awoke early to shower, dress and ready Soul's clothes. She then went to make breakfast, do a bit of cleaning and then began the difficult process of waking Soul up. He was proving to be quite cranky in the morning. Almost akin to a child.

But once Soul was awake, he quickly readied himself and joined Maka for breakfast. After the first time they ate together, Soul made her promise that they would always have their meals together. She didn't udnerstand why he was so eager to eat with her, but she never questioned it. Soul was difficult to understand, but Maka decided she didn't _want_ to understand. Everything would remain as professional as possible.

Today, however, was quite different. Maka awoke at her usual time, but when she went to take her shower, she found it already occupied. She couldn't believe Soul had actually awaken earlier than her. Maka, slightly bewildered, decided to skip her shower and went to get ready instead. When she emerged from her room, she found Soul in the kitchen on his phone. He had a serious expression on his face and Maka waited quietly in the doorway so as to not disturb him.

"I understand...yeah...how long? Oh. Okay then, I'll handle it." Soul closed his phone and turned to Maka with a smirk. "Mornin',"

"Good morning." She said cautiously, "You actually managed to wake up on your own today."

"More like I didn't go to sleep last night." Soul said, stiffling a yawn.

"You shouldn't do that. Sleep is-"

"Yeah, sleep is important. I know. I know." He said and Maka flushed at his teasing tone.

"I'll start breakfast." She grumbled as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Actually, I need you to pack a suitcase for me. I'm going to be away on a business trip for a few days." Soul said as he leaned against the counter.

"Where are you going?" Maka asked.

"Far." Soul said, giving his signature crooked smile. Maka rolled her eyes and left to pack his bag. How amazing it will be to have the jerk out of the house for a few days.

.

"I won't be gone long. Try not to have too much fun without me." Soul said with a wink as he stood at the front door. Maka crossed her arms and glared.

"You'll definitely be missed." She said, her voice dripping sarcasm, but Soul only chuckled

"Of course I will. My maid won't know what to do with herself if I'm not there to guide her."

Maka flushed madly at the innuendo and practically pushed the man out of the door. He laughed as he picked up his suitcase and stepped out. He began to walk down the hallway when he heard a voice call,

"Make sure to get enough sleep! Eat properly, not just junk food! Hang your clothes up when you get to the hotel! Get someone to tie your damn tie properly!"

Soul's shoulders shook as he laughed. He kept walking, raising a hand in both a goodbye wave and a sign of acknowledgement. Loud and clear. He was sure the neighbors heard too. And she tried so hard to keep her exsistence a secret from them. She really was amusing.

"D-Do your best!"

Soul looked over his shoulder at that, but Maka had quickly run back into the room and closed the door. Soul, to his surprise, found himself blushing. She never did cease to amaze him.

.

The first day without Soul around was heaven. Maka had a lavish condo all to herself and she was free to do whatever she wanted. She was able to take a long, hot bath. Something she was dying to do since she had arrived. She lounged on the sofa and watched corny TV shows, something she never had the pleasure of doing. She was able to finish her homework in peace, without Soul calling her every five minutes to entertain him.

It was perfect.

The third day without Soul became a bit boring. The house was spotless, she didn't have to worry about making his dinner, ironing his clothes, or helping him organize his paperwork. Maka, who always finished her homework in a timely manner, was left with nothing to do.

How had she spent her time before meeting Soul?

The fifth day without Soul was absolutely dull. Who knew that she would actually miss that condescening idiot! But not in any strange sense, she just felt like she was slacking on her job. She was eating his food, watching his TV and not having to do anything else. That was it. She didn't really miss his presence or anything. She just missed the fact that someone needed her.

.

On the seventh day, which was a gloomy Saturday, with buckets of rain pouring from the darken sky, Soul finally came home. Maka was seated at the kitchen table, sipping hot chocolate and watching as the rain fell in heavy sheets. She heard the sound of a key in the lock and she quickly got up just in time to see Soul walk in. He was drenched in water, his shoulders were slumped and he didn't say anything as he slipped off his jacket.

"W-Welcome back." Maka greeted as she approached him.

"Maka..." She heard him say, his voice a little scratchy.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" Maka asked, walking a little closer so she could hear. Suddenly, he was leaning toward her, but Maka didn't have enough time to jump back. Soul's body slumped against the girl and Maka nearly fell over with his weight. "Soul! Soul, what's wrong?"

"So tired. Sleep." He muttered.

"Okay, can you walk? I'll help you to your bed." Maka said and she and Soul walked slowly to his room, him leaning against her for support. When they made it, Soul fell onto his bed and sighed in content. "Soul, you need to change. You'll catch a cold."

"Too late." Came a muffled response and Maka's hand instantly went to his forehead. Sure enough, he was burning up. That explained the scratchy sound of his voice. "I need to get you out of these clothes."

"Please do."

Sick with a high fever and he still managed to crack jokes. Maka ignored it as she went to his drawer to retrieve clothes. She grabbed a pair of his flannel pajama bottoms, a white shirt and, reluctantly, a pair of boxers. Maka returned to his bed to hear a light snore coming from Soul.

"He must really be exhausted." Maka said to herself. Maka, chalking up her embarrassment, reached out for Soul. She took a hold of his shirt and fumbled as she tried to unclasp his buttons. She finally managed to open it to reveal a well definied chest, but she did her best not to stare. She had seen men's chests before. She saw her Papa's and guys on TV, she shouldn't feel so damn embarrassed!

Maka slipped it off, having to tug it out from underneath him since Soul wouldn't sit up so she could remove it. She thought she heard a tear, but she didn't dwell on it. It was his own fault. Next, Maka unbuckled his belt and, turning her head away, yanked his pants down. She pulled them off, where they landed heavily on the floor, a small puddle of water forming underneath them. She would have to clean it up later.

Only one artifact of clothing left. Maka swallowed, staring at the green plaid boxers. She could do this. She could do this.

_Be quick. Don't look. Keep your hand steady._ She told herself as she reached out. She hooked her fingers into his waistband and was about to yank them down when a voice floated down to her,

"I was wondering how far you would go. You either take your job very seriously," He coughed, or laughed, she wasn't sure, "or you're seizing an opportunity."

Maka's hands flew away from him and her face turned a startling shade of red. Soul seemed unfazed as he sat up. His eyes were a bit glazed, his face was red and he looked like he was about to pass out again. However, he seemed to have just enough strength to pull his underwear down.

"NOOOO!" Maka screamed, quickly covering her eyes.

"You were gonna see it anyway." Soul said and she could hear the smile in his voice. She frowned and threw his clothes at him. She quickly gathered up the wet clothes and walked out of the room.

"I'll get you some medicine. Hurry and get dressed." She grumbled and she fumed when she heard him laugh.

She couldn't believe she actually missed the guy! Five minutes in the house and she was already up to her neck in work. How did he survive without her?

.

Half an hour later and Soul was tucked under his blanket, an ice pack on his head and his maid trying to feed him soup. He watched her as she, a little harshly, stirred his soul and then jut it out for him to eat. Soul, always in the mood to tease Maka, slowly took the spoon in his mouth and ate it. Maka would yank it out of his mouth again, grumbling under her breath as she got another spoonfull.

When he finished, Maka gave him his medicine and told him to rest. As she turned away with the empty bowl, Soul called out to her,

"Hey, thanks." He said and Maka looked back at him to see that damn smirk on his face. She could tell, however, that he was being sincere.

"It's my job afterall." She muttered.

"Of course. Worth every penny." Soul said as he closed his eyes, ready to sleep. Maka walked to the door, about to close it when she felt the need to tell him something,

"I told you to take care of yourself." She said and Soul peeked an eye open at her.

"Sorry." He said simply.

"How was your trip?" She asked, staring down at her feet.

"Good." He said, now opening both eyes to look at her. "Is there something you want to say?"

She looked up at him, her cheeks still flushed brightly, and Soul raised an eyebrow in wonderment, "N-Nothing, just sleep. Hurry up and get better, it's a pain having to take care of you." And she quickly shut the door before he could say anything else.

Soul was curious, wondering what was going on in that girl's head, but he would ask her later. He needed sleep now. He was glad to be home. He was glad Maka was here to welcome him home. It felt nice to be cared for. He had actually missed the girl this pass week.

.

Maka slapped her cheek as she washed dishes. What was she about to say? Was she insane?

She couldn't believe she was going to tell Soul she missed him!

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

It's getting there. They're getting used to each other's presence, starting to develop some hidden feelings, maybe even some sexual tension. I'm sensing a confession in the future. Oh, but of course, it won't be that easy.


	6. You're Cared For

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 6: You're Cared For**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

* * *

Life with Soul had become ordinary, as if Maka and Soul had always been together. In reality, it had been only about three weeks. However, the line between a maid and her employer had blurred and Maka, instead, looked at Soul as almost as a friend. She didn't have friends at school, she was the nerd that no one liked to talk to, but Soul didn't seem to mind this fact. He listened to her stories, all her complaints and problems at school, and though he couldn't do anything about them, Maka enjoyed having someone listen to her. She felt...cared for.

In return, Maka always asked Soul about work. At first, he only gave simple answers such as "alright" and "good", but Maka soon realized that wasn't always true. It took a while, but Soul eventually opened up. He told her about annoying clients, his heavy work loads and other stresses that he encountered throughout the day. Maka didn't really understand and she knew she couldn't do anything about them, but she listened. And that seemed to help him.

Maka was, dare she say, enjoying her new life with Soul Evans.

But reality was about to give her a rude awakening.

.

"So, Maka, I have some good news for you." Ms. Mjolnir said, a bright smile adourning her face.

"I-Is it about my application?" Maka asked hopefully, her eyes shining with hope.

"Yup, I'm happy to tell you that you got the scholarship!" Ms. Mjolnir said and both she and Maka let out a cheer. After the small celebration Ms. Mjolnir cleared her throat and said, "but I'm afraid the scholarship doesn't cover everything."

"What else will I need?" Maka asked.

"There are dorm fees, text book fees and lab fees. It really starts to add up depending on what classes you'll be taking. I know about your...delicate financial situation," Oh she had no clue just how _delicate_ they were at the moment. "But do you think your father will be able to manage?"

"I think we can." Maka said, her heart constricting at the thought of her Papa.

"Good. That's all for today then. Congratulations, Maka." Ms. Mjolnir said and Maka dismissed herself. Maka stood in the hallway outside of Ms. M's door as she contemplated her situation. Where would she get the money to pay those fees? Should she ask Soul? No, he would just make her where that damn costume. She would have to go back to her original plan.

It was time do get a part-time job.

.

After school, Maka wandered the streets of Death City. She looked in shop windows, she asked around, but no one seemed to be hiring. This was quickly becoming a problem. Maybe she needed to get down on her knees and beg. Make up some audacious lie about how she was poor and starving and needed a job. Maybe she should even opt for the truth.

"Bad idea." Maka muttered as she walked pass an opened shop. A delicious smell wafted through the air and Maka looked into the shop. It was a small bakery and it was packed. A popular place like that must be in need of some part-time help. Maka walked into the store and somehow pushed her way to the front counter.

"Hi, excuse me." Maka said, waving down a blonde boy that was rushing around.

"Hey, welcome to Sweet Tooth." He said as he handed an elderly woman a white box. "Have a nice day, Mrs. Smith." He turned toward a door in the back and called, "We need more red velvet cupcakes!" And then he was rushing off again to assist another customer.

"Um, excuse me!" Maka called again over the crowd.

"Could you wait your turn, ma'am. I'll be with you in a moment." He called to Maka as he took a platter of cupcakes from a man clad in a chef outfit. The throng of people cheered and Maka wondered what secret, magical ingredient they put in the pastries to make people act like this.

"Actually, I was wondering if you were hiring." She said to the boy as he handed out boxes and took money. His attention snapped up to her and he smiled. "You're hired. Go tell the chef in the back that we need more sugar cookies, almond brownies and tiramisu. Grab an apron on the rack back there."

Maka wasn't sure what was happening, but she obeyed. She rushed into the kitchen where she received a strange look from a scary-looking chef. She glanced at the apron on the rack and quickly put it on. The chef raised an eyebrow and she sheepishly said,

"We need more sugar cookies, almond brownies and tiramisu."

The chef didn't say a word, but handed Maka a tray of freshly made cookies. He then got back to work and Maka assumed he was starting on the other pastries.

"Okay..." Maka said and rushed back out to deliver the pastries.

.

Maka worked hard for nearly five hours. She was exhausted when the final customer left and she leaned back against the counter as she tried to catch her breath. She couldn't imagine doing this every day.

"Hey, thanks for the help." Said the blond boy she worked along side.

"No problem, I can't believe you guys do this every day." Maka said and he smiled.

"Well, we have specials on Tuesdays so we get a lot of business. It's not always like this."

"That's comforting." Maka muttered.

"Haha. Well, you have the job if you're up for it. Part-time right?"

"Right. I kinda have _responsibilities_ though, so..."

"Oh, I get it. School, homework, chores, I know how it can be. How about three hours after school, five hours on the weekend. I'll pay you $8 an hour."

"Wait, you're the owner? You look the same age as me!" Maka said as she stared at the handsome blond.

"Justin Law, 19, university student, manager. My parents own the place, but they leave it up to me to run." He said, holding out his hand. Maka smiled and took it.

"Maka Albarn, 17, high school student, employee." She said and her and Justin laughed.

"Looks like you have a job, Maka."

"Thank you. I should be getting home now." Maka said, the word slipping out of her mouth. Was the condo that she shared with Soul really her home now? It sort of felt that way. Maka smiled to herself. It felt nice.

"Hey, how about I give you a ride? It's not safe for you to walk around this late by yourself." Justin said as he tossed his keys into the air and caught them.

"Sure. Thanks, Justin." She said and followed him out of the shop.

.

Soul had waited long enough. Something had happened to Maka. Maybe she was in an accident. Maybe she was kidnapped by those guys that owned the brothel. Maybe her father had come back for her and they ran off together. Soul quickly stood and grabbed his car keys.

He would bring her back kicking and screaming if that were the case.

.

"Thanks for the ride." Maka said as they pulled up to the condo.

"Wow, nice place." He said as he stared at the luxurious condo.

"I'm just staying here for a while." Maka said. "My parents are...er...traveling and I'm living with my uncle."

"Oh, is that him?" Justin asked and Maka whirled around. Sure enough, Soul was standing there, staring at her. She couldn't quite read his expression. It was a cross between surprise and maybe anger. Quite confusing.

"Oh, h-hey Uncle Soul." Maka said and Soul's eyes narrowed.

"Hm, well, I'll see you tomorrow, Maka." Justin said, trying to make a get away. He had dated enough girls to know that look. The possessive come-near-my-daughter-again-and-I'll-kill-you look. With a cute girl like Maka, Justin could understand how even an uncle would want to keep her safe.

"Yeah, bye Justin. Thanks again." She called as he drove off. Soul, wordlessly, turned away and Maka followed him back to their room. Was it just her or was he angry.

.

"Sorry I'm late." Maka was saying as she shucked off her jacket.

"Was that your boyfriend?" Soul suddenly asked and Maka was left speechless.

"Does it matter?" She asked, not sure what he was so upset about. Soul seemed to flush with anger and he stomped toward the girl. He grabbed her by her arms and Maka wasn't expecting what happened next. Soul leaned down and crushed his lips against the girl's.

Maka stood there helplessly. Her arms were held down at her side by Soul, she was too stunned to move, but her body enjoyed every second of the kiss. His lips were so soft. He smelled so nice. His hands were so hot.

But Soul abruptly ended it. He quickly pulled away, staring at her as if he couldn't believe what he just did. His eyes were wide as he quickly let go of her and took a step back. Maka could only watch as he scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I don't know what came over me." He said more to himself than to her. Maka didn't respond and Soul turned away. "I made dinner."

They both quietly, and a bit awkwardly, went to the kitchen together.

.

The kiss was momentarily forgotten as Maka looked at the food on the table. It looked disgusting. Burnt everything. She couldn't even identify half the things that were there. Surely, this wasn't edible. But something caught Maka's attention.

Three of Soul's fingers had band-aids on them and Maka realized Soul must have really put a lot of effort into making this meal. How...cute.

"Thanks for the meal." Maka muttered as she gingerly tasted the food. It was, to her surprise, actually okay. A little bland and some of it was burnt, but not completely terrible. Or was she trying to defend Soul's food? Maybe she was just hungry. Who knew.

They ate together in silence for a while, but Maka couldn't take it any longer. She wanted him to say something. Anything. But preferably about that kiss! She wasn't mad at him, dispite the fact that he had stolen her first kiss. She actually might have liked it a little. She didn't _dislike_ Soul. He was older than her, a bit annoying, but she cared about him to an extent. She definitely thought he was handsome. He was smart too. A great kisser. He was a good catch. She wondered what Soul thought about her. That kiss had to mean something.

It couldn't have just been a random act. Perhaps he was jealous?

"He's not my boyfriend." Maka finally said, but Soul didn't respond. "He's actually my boss."

That got his attention.

"You're boss? You got a job?" Soul asked.

"Yeah, at a bakery. It's not too far from here, but Justin offered to give me a ride because he said it wasn't safe to go back home alone."

"I thought I said you couldn't have a job." Soul said.

"Listen, I'm not going to be here forever. I need to start thinking about what I'm going to do once I leave. I applied for a scholarship at DCU and I got accepted!" She said happily, but Soul wasn't smiling. "Anyway, the scholarship doesn't cover everything. I have to buy text books and pay for dorm fees."

"I see." Soul said as he stared down at his plate in thought. He had forgotten this was only temporary. Another month and Maka would be gone. She had her own life to get back to. She would go to college, she would live in a dorm, she would date other guys like that kid from earlier. He was her employer. That was all. What had he been expecting? Why had he gotten so angry? When had these stupid feelings manifested?

Regardless, they needed to be nipped in the bud.

"I understand." Soul said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"You do?" Maka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you can work. Congrads on getting into DCU." He said as he pushed back from the table.

"S-Soul, about what happened earlier." She started, but when Soul looked back at her, she felt her confidence shatter. His gaze, cold and indifferent, bored into her. As if he was saying don't even bring that up.

"What happened earlier?" He asked and Maka was silent. After a moment he turned away and left the room. Maka was left to wonder what just happened. But, more importantly, what was she hoping for?

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

I had the urge to make them kiss. It happened a little early, but I don't think it will have much of an affect on my plot. Just some more tension between them. Also, I don't intend on them to dwell on the fact that Maka will be leaving soon. That was inevitable. Anywho, I just needed them to really become aware of their feelings and this was the first thing I thought of. Now let's see if we can incorporate both Justin and Liz back into the plot:D


	7. The Confession

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 7: The Confession**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

* * *

It had been a week since their _kiss_ and nothing had changed in Soul and Maka's daily lifestyle. Soul seemed to really be treating the incident as if it never happened. This annoyed Maka to no end. It was her first kiss, stolen by an egotistical jerk in a moment of jealous fury. Was that considered jealousy? If Soul was jealous, that meant he had feelings for her right?

The wonderment of Soul having feelings for her was enough to arouse the girl from her peaceful sleep.

Maka cracked her eyes open and stared at the ceiling for a moment. Why had things become so complicated? If she could only go back...

She probably would have embraced Soul, actually. Maka flushed at the idea and quickly got out of bed. Her thoughts did _not_ need to wander down that road. Things were already confusing enough, she didn't need to throw her own feelings into the equation.

Maka dragged herself down the hallway and knocked on Soul's door.

"Rise and shine." She called and scurried off to get ready for school. When she has finished, she went off to the kitchen to start breakfast. This was Maka's least favorite part of the day. She and Soul didn't seem to be conversing well these last few days and, after just waking up, he seemed to always be in a cranky mood. Well, cranky was a bit of an understatement.

However, the main problem was that he was taking it out on Maka.

But, not only that, there seemed to be a barrier between them now. It wasn't just Maka's own paranoia, either. She had lived with Soul for long enough now to know that he was distancing himself. He didn't joke around or tease her anymore, he didn't ask about her day and, in return, he would not talk about his. And he _always_ kept a certain amount of distance between them instead of constantly hovering over her while she cooked or did her homework or whatever else. (Which was something she actually missed a bit, though she refused to admit to it.)

Maka knew that Soul had drawn a line between them now and she was NOT allowed to cross it. But, if Maka ever wanted any answers, she was going to have to run across that line, tackle Soul and force him to tell her his problem.

That's why, when Soul came into the kitchen, she was ready to start asking questions.

"Why aren't you ready?" She asked first, momentarily distracted by the pajama attire.

"Don't feel like going today." He said, yawning as he sat at his side of the table.

"How can you say that? You're the CEO for crying out loud!" She exclaimed.

"Which means I can do whatever I want." He muttered.

"Which means you have a lot of responsibility." She retorted.

"I've run Evans Enterprise for four years now, you don't need to tell me that. Besides, last I check, you're just a maid. Worry about washing dishes." He said coldly.

And here was Soul's cranky morning attitude. Snarky, harsh and just plain mean. But wasn't this his fault in the first place! Why was he taking it out on her? But Maka would rather put up with his bad attitude than him not talking to her at all. After breakfast Maka didn't see Soul until late at night. Prior to their "fight" he came home early so they could have dinner together, but now he always claimed to have already eaten and he retired to his room for the night without another word.

She was actually quite lonely now.

"What's with the attitude lately?" She finally asked.

"Hm? What was that?" He asked sarcastically, not really interested in what she had to say. Maka slammed her fork down and glared.

"I've put up with this as long as possible. I was trying to give you your space these last few days because you seemed to be in a bad mood, but I can't take it anymore! What's your problem!"

"I don't have a problem." He said simply as he sipped his coffee.

"You DO have a problem. Why are you being so..._mean_? Ever since Tuesday night, ever since you kissed me, you've been in a foul mood." She muttered.

Soul was silent for a moment before he spoke,

"You're a maid, I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Stop using that damn maid excuse all the time!" She exclaimed, standing up. "Now tell me!"

"I've been _deprived_ lately, couldn't hold myself back. But im not interested in flat-chested kids, so don't worry about it." Soul said and spared a glance at the girl.

Her eyes were narrowed and she was trying to look angry, but she looked as if she were on the verge of tears. She quickly turned away to leave for school. This time, Soul did not chase after her.

.

School passed in a blur and she wasn't sure if any of the lessons actually stuck. If this fight was going to be affecting her grades, she needed to solve this issue fast. That's why Maka was formulating a plan as she walked home. She had work tonight, but she needed to go home and change, she figured it was the perfect time to talk to Soul again. She would say what she had to say and, while she was at work, he would have time to contemplate her words.

Maka thought this was a great idea as she stepped into the condo.

"I know Soul Evans lives here, just tell me what room and I'll be out of your hair."

Maka's attention snapped to the front desk. There she saw a tall blonde woman speaking to Cindy, the receptionist. Cindy was a timid girl that Maka had only spoke to a handful of times and she looked like she was about to crack, but she managed to stammer out,

"I-I'm not allowed to g-give that information away. I can call him if you like, though." Cindy said as she picked up the phone.

"Yes, please do." The woman sneered and Cindy dialed the room number.

Maka was standing a few feet away, just behind a pillar. She didn't know why she was hiding, but it was just her first instinct. She was sure Soul wouldn't let that woman into their room, he already expressed how he didn't like inviting anyone there.

Maka had just decided to go on and head up to the room when Cindy suddenly spoke,

"Okay, Mr. Evans, I'll send her right up." She said and hung up with a nervous smile, "Room 805, he'll be expecting you."

"About time." She said and turned on her heels to gracefully walk toward the elevator. Now Maka was definitely confused about what to do. Soul knew she got out of school at this time so was it okay for her to go up to the room? Maka decided she didn't care.

So what if they got caught. Soul could deal with the consequences on his own! With new resolution she followed the woman and stepped into the elevator behind her. The woman glanced at her and rolled her eyes before she clicked the eight on the elevator panel.

"Same floor?" She asked dryly.

"That's right." Maka returned, equally as dry.

The woman frowned and crossed her arms. Maka glanced at her again. She was much taller than her, with dark blonde hair that hung past her waist. She wore tight jeans and a crop top with heels that Maka found frighteningly high.

She looked like she could pass for one of the women from _ChupaCabra's_, but she had a certain regal air about her. Or maybe snotty was a better word.

"So you live here?" The woman asked as they passed the second floor.

"Obviously." Maka said and she saw the woman's brow twitch.

"You look like a high schooler." She said, tapping her chin.

"I am." Maka said, not sure where she was going with this.

"Hm. Just got out of school?" She continued.

"I did, what's your point?" Maka growled at her condescending tone?

"No uniform. Interesting." She said turning away just as they reached their floor.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" Maka asked as she stalked after her. They reached the last door along the corridor and Liz knocked three times before she glanced at Maka.

"That you _obviously_ do not belong here." She said with a smirk and Maka flushed in anger.

She was about to shoo back a retort, but the door opened and Soul stood there still dressed in his pajamas. His hair shaggy and everywhere. He must have been asleep.

"Bedtime Chic, how sexy." The woman cooed as she draped her arms around Soul.

"Liz, why are you here?" He asked tiredly and she smiled.

"To pay a visit. Why? Am I not welcomed?" She asked innocently and Maka wondered what happened to that cynical girl from earlier. Soul was about to answer, but he seemed to realize that they were not alone. He pushed the door back a bit more to reveal Maka, standing there with her arms crossed. Liz looked over her shoulder and sighed.

"Sweetie, it was a _pleasure_ talking to you, but you can be on your way now." Liz said and Maka fumed.

"Sorry, but I live here, _Sweetie_, and I'm not going anywhere." Maka said and shot a look at Soul who raised an eyebrow at her obvious anger.

"What?" Liz asked, turning to Soul.

"Both of you just come inside." Soul said and walked into the apartment. Both girls followed, glaring at each other the entire time. "Liz, this is my maid. Maid, this is Elizabeth Thompson."

Maka ignored the maid comment and watched as a smirk formed on Liz's ruby-red lips.

"Oh? Maid, huh? Nice to meet you, Miss Maid." Liz said and laughed softly to herself.

"It's nice to meet you too, Whore #2." Maka said and walked off, her head held high and a smile playing on her lips. She knew Liz was glaring at her all the while.

"What a rude girl. Soul, do something about her." Liz whined, but stopped when she saw Soul watching the girl walk off. He was smirking to himself and Liz frowned. That damn maid was going to pay.

.

Maka came back into the room, dressed in her khaki shorts and Sweet Tooth employee shirt. She saw Soul and Liz on the sofa, her leg draped over him and her finger twining a piece of his hair. Maka didn't know where it came from, but she felt a sudden surge of anger flare through her. She wished they would look up, to see the wrathful look she was giving them, but they were in their own little world.

Maka could only stomp as loudly as possible and slam the door on her way out.

.

"What's wrong?" Justin asked as Maka came into the shop, clearly in a bad mood.

"Nothing." She grumbled as she tied her apron.

"Come on, you can tell me." He said gently and Maka snapped.

"It's nothing, okay! Let's just get to work." She said and disappeared into the kitchen.

Yup, she was definitely in a bad mood.

.

It was almost time for Maka's shift to end and she was cleaning the counter when Justin approached her.

"You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here." He said.

Maka let out a sigh, "Sorry for shouting earlier. I was just...irritable."

"Hey, no problem. We all have days like that." He said, patting her back. "Wanna talk about it?"

Maka shook her head, silently conveying that she didn't, but then she felt tears streaming her cheeks. Justin, though startled, continued to rub her back as she sniffed and sobbed.

"S-Sorry I don't...know...why..." She said, trying to compose herself.

"It's okay. You don't have to hold it in, Maka." He said soothingly. "Just tell me what happened. I'm sure it'll make you feel better."

Maka glanced up at him and saw that he was being sincere. Well, it couldn't hurt.

"Well, there's this guy I might like, but he has absolutely no interest in me. I'm just a kid to him and he has all these other beautiful women he could be with." She said, feeling her mood darken. "He was kind to me out of pity, but I didn't really mind. But now he seems so far away."

She was crying again and Justin was silent. He had no words of advice for the girl, especially since he wasn't thrilled to hear that she had someone she already liked. He could only comfort her while she cried over someone who did not deserve her love.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride home." He finally said as her crying subsided.

"There's still light out. I can walk." She said as she wiped her tears away.

"Okay, then I _want_ to give you a ride home." He said with a charming smile and Maka smiled weakly back. Why couldn't she have fallen for a man like this? Why did falling in love have to hurt so bad? Her first love, both stupid and impossible. Nice going, Maka.

.

They rode silently together, listening to a slow song on the radio. Maka rested her head against the window, welcoming the coolness against her flushed skin. She couldn't believe she cried in front of her boss. How embarrassing. No more showing signs of weakness. Nothing good ever came out of people who pitied her.

Afterall, look at her situation with Soul.

"So, this guy you like-"

"Might like." Maka quickly corrected and Justin shook his head slightly,

"What's he like?" He continued.

Maka thought for a moment. "He's immature. A complete child at heart. He can't cook, he can't clean and I'm surprised he's managed to live alone for so long. He makes a joke out of everything and he's constantly teasing people. He's egotistical, condescending, a jerk-"

"And yet you like him." Justin stopped her. She was quiet for a moment before she continued,

"I guess I like his carefree attitude. I had to grow up fast, I didn't have time to have fun and cut loose when I was growing up. I just feel...relaxed around him. Like I have nothing to worry about." She said, a soft smile on her lips and Justin smiled sadly to himself.

"You're definitely in love, Albarn." He said and Maka's face reddened.

"I'm not enjoying it one bit." She admitted and Justin nodded as if he understood perfectly.

"So, why don't you just tell him?" He asked.

"I think my feelings will be a burden to him. We kissed once and he obviously hated it. He's distance himself from me and now he's so cold that sometimes I wonder if he hates me now. I figured it's better to just ignore my feelings. He's doing so much for me already, I don't want to trouble him." She said, swiping a tear that rolled down her cheek.

Justin was silent as they pulled up to the condo. He pulled up behind a taxi and saw Maka's uncle standing there with a tall blonde woman.

"Hey, isn't that your-" Justin stoped short when he saw Maka's face. She was staring, holding her breath, gripping her shirt as the blonde woman threw her arms around the man and kissesdhim. Justin watched as she flinched and then quickly advert her gaze.

Justin was no idiot. Obviously, the man Maka was speaking of was her uncle. He was definitely at a loss as of what to say in this situation. But didn't this mean that he had a chance now? There was no way she could be with her uncle! It would take some time, but Maka would eventually get over him. And Justin would be there to pick her back up and take her for himself.

"Ah...um...well, th-thanks for the ride." She said, her voice cracking slightly as she reached for the door. But before she could get it open, Justin was pulling her to him. He gently pressed his lips to hers and Maka could only stare.

Maka wondered where this had suddenly came from, but she wouldn't just sit there and allow him to kiss her. Funny, when Soul had done the same thing, she put up no resistance at all. Had she already liked him since then? Justin's kiss definitely didn't stir the same feelings as Soul's kiss did. Was she only burying a deeper hole for herself?

A moment passed and Maka changed her mind about stopping the kiss. It was far better to embrace Justin than to continue to cry over Soul. Even if her feelings for the men were on completely different levels.

.

Soul pulled back from Liz in annoyance. He hated her sloppy, lipstick-tasting kisses, but he decided to indulge her. Liz had done a phenomenal job at distracting him from his problems i.e. Maka.

"Can I come see you again? Next time we can do more..._fun_ things." She said and Soul was about to tell her no, when something caught his attention. He looked over Liz's head and saw a familiar blue car lingering behind them. The sun was beginning to set, but there was enough light to see into the car and what he saw made his mind go blank. "Well is that a ye-"

Liz was suddenly pushed aside and Soul stalked toward the car. He stopped at the passenger side and opened the door. Justin glanced up and Maka whirled around to see Soul. Soul silently yanked Maka out of the car, ignoring her shouts to let her go. He glared Justin down, but Justin returned it and Soul could only slam the door shut in his face.

He then dragged Maka off toward the condo, ignoring Liz's calls. His anger had reached it's boiling point and he could no longer stand by while other people touched his things. He was doing so good at keeping his feelings in check, but all that hard work had went up in flames. Maka wanted to know what his problem was, so she was about to find out.

.

"Let me go, Soul!" Maka shouted in the hallway as Soul opened their apartment door. He pulled her inside and Maka ripped her arm out of his grasp, furiously glaring at him. Soul, still not able to rationalize a clear thought in his head, shoved Maka against the door.

"Wasn't long before you two finally hooked up." Soul scoffed and Maka rolled her eyes.

"Not this again. You're like a broken record! Didn't we already go through this?" She said, completely fed up with his bipolarness. One minute he's ignoring her, the next he's suddenly concerned about who she kisses. She just couldn't understand him.

"Yeah, but you weren't sticking your tongue down his throat the last time." He sneered.

"And just like last time, it's none of your business!" She shouted and Soul laughed.

"You'll do anything to get what you want, huh? Tell me, were you spouting a load of crap about not sleeping with guys for money? Is this whole debt even real? Or are you just another whore trying to swindle me out of my money?" He asked and was surprised when Maka slapped him.

She was pretty strong for her size. He was sure that was going to leave a mark.

"So I'm right, huh?" He said with a wry smile. He watched as her eyes began to glisten and tears were spilling over, but she continued to glare at him.

"Does it matter? I'm just a maid, right?" She said, throwing his words back at him and Soul's eyes narrowed and he growled out,

"Yeah, but you're _my_ maid."

And then his lips were on hers. Maka tried to fight it, shaking her head side to side to escape from his desirable mouth. But her body was letting her down. Her mind screamed at her, telling her to stop, that this would only lead to more problems. That this was just a repeat of Tuesday night.

But the voice in her head was easily tuned out and replaced with a dull buzzing as her mind went blank. She felt Soul's arms circle around her and she was easily lifted up and pinned against the door. She subconsciously wrapped her legs around his waist and Soul pressed against her. He pulled back from their kiss to look at her.

He eyed her and Maka was wondering what was going on in that head of his. Whatever it was, it must have been something good because he tilted his head to one side as he leaned closer to her. His scent overwhelmed her as her eyes slowly shut.

She inhaled two sharp breaths. This wasn't a good idea. She knew it. She should probably stop him, but she didn't know if this would ever happen again. She wanted to milk this moment and get everything she could out of it. Because she was sure it would never happen again.

Their time together was dwindling and if they reverted back to their days of non-communication, Maka was sure she was going to break. She loved this man. She loved him and she hated him and, god, she just wanted his lips back on hers. Damn the confusing feelings.

"This isn't fair." She breathed, a tear sliding down her cheek. Soul quickly wiped it away.

"Life's not fair." He replied as he kissed her shoulder, her neck.

"If you hate me, you shouldn't kiss me." She said, sighing as his mouth roamed north, up over her jaw, gently sucking at her skin.

"Don't hate." He muttered, his breath hot against her skin.

"Don't make me regret this." She said and he answered by kissing her so hungrily their lips bruised. She pushed her fingers through his hair, clutching him closer. She let her mind go blank again, ignoring the messy and complicated emotions from the last few days.

His hands, large and rough, were desperately holding her flush against him with an intensity that made her want to sink deeper into him. They wandered under her shirt, expertly sliding to the small of her back. She was utterly absorbed in the kiss, their mouths slipping and sliding over each other.

He pulled away again to gaze into Maka's glazed eyes.

"Regretting it yet?" He murmured, giving a low groan as she wrapped her legs more tightly around him to keep from falling. He used one hand to support her bottom and Maka gasped. She wasn't used to this. She wasn't experienced enough for this. She wasn't ready for this.

"Not at the moment, but, perhaps we should stop before I do." She said and Soul chuckled dryly.

"Prefer to keep this as a nice memory for when you fuck Justin?" He asked and Maka rolled her eyes.

"I prefer to keep it as a nice memory before you go back to ignoring me." She retorted.

Soul let out a defeated sigh. "Sorry about that." He said.

"Sorry about what?" She asked and Soul gave her a pointed look.

"Sorry for treating you like shit these last few days." He muttered and decided to bury his face in her shoulder than have to look at her.

"Then why did you?" She continued.

"It finally hit me that this won't last, that you'll leave me soon. I figured it's better to stop it now before..." He trailed off and Maka beat his back lightly.

"Before what?" She asked desperately.

"Before I started to fall for you." He admitted.

"And how's that going so far?" She asked, holding her breath as she awaited his answer.

"Honestly," He said and leaned back to look at her again, "Not very good."

She smiled shyly to herself and he smirked.

"He kissed me without permission." She said quietly.

"You should have punched him." Soul said, his eyes darkening a shade.

"I dallied with the idea of using Justin to help ignore my feelings for you." She said, wondering why she felt the need to explain herself to him.

"You have feelings for me now?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in mock surprise, though she could see a sign of a smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

"Shocking isn't it? I wasn't thrilled to realize it either. Because, you're definitely not my type." She said and Soul frowned.

"And what's your type? Someone like that boy?" He asked and she could see him fading to a darker place again. Time to bring him back.

"Does it matter? In the end, I seem to prefer you more." She whispered. "And what about you? Have fun with Miss. Liz today?"

"Whore #2? Nah, I told her if she came to my house, she must have some important business to discuss. I pulled out my laptop and stacks of paperwork and "talked business". She wasn't very happy." He said and he loved the way Maka's face lit up when she laughed.

"So Whore #2 sticks?" She asked playfully.

"Who's Whore #1?" He questioned.

"Blair from _ChupaCabra's_." She said and he shook his head.

"No more whores, too messy. Besides, not one of them knows how to cook a decent meal." He said and chuckled when Maka glared.

"That is so sexist." She said lightheartedly. "I'm still a maid in the end, huh?"

"You're _my_ maid if that's any consolation." He teased.

"For another month." She reminded him and he groaned.

"Then I'll have to tie you to me some other way then." He said and she smiled.

"Looking forward to it." She finished and dipped down to capture his lips again.

**To Be continued...**

* * *

Are they a couple? Not exactly. You'll see what I mean next chapter when I bring Tsubaki into their...complicated relationship. They like each other though, so don't get all bummed out. Is this the last we see of Justin and Liz? Of course not. Kid will also be making an appearance soon! Black Star will be returning also. Let the fun continue!


	8. The Opposition

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 8: The Opposition**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

Life just seemed to be different for Maka now that she was in love. She was more relaxed, she was more confident, she was more happy. Even if the person she was in love with was still an irritating jerk that annoyed her to no end.

"How could you be so irresponsible!" Maka shouted into her cellphone as she ran down the sidewalk. Last week Soul had decided she should get one since he refused to allow her to take rides from Justin ever again. She didn't want one, but it was a good compromise since her only alternative was to quit. However, Soul seemed to be abusing the device already.

"Sorry, I was in a rush this morning." He said, actually sounding a bit sincere. There was a bit of a perk to having the cellphone, to be honest. Soul encouraged her to call him whenever she wanted, for anything. She didn't really take advantage of this offer, but when she DID need Soul for something she never thought twice about not calling. Something about hearing his voice over the phone was very...appealing.

Maka let out a sigh and said, "Which folder is it?"

.

Maka knew Soul was wealthy. She knew he must have owned a pretty successful company even if she didn't quite know what they did at Evans Enterprise. However, standing before the building that Soul said he built right after college, made her realize Soul was a pretty capable guy. It took her a while, but there seemed to be more to him than his laid-back attitude and handsome face. It only made her adore him even more.

Maka walked into the building and up to the front desk where a kind-looking woman sat.

"Hello, can I help you?" She greeted.

"I need to speak with Soul Evans, please." Maka said.

"Do you have an appointment?" She asked.

"No, I just came to drop something off." Maka replied, showing the bag she held.

"Name?"

"Maka Albarn."

The woman picked up the phone a pressed a button.

"There is a young lady here by the name of Maka Albarn. She said she had something to drop off for Mr. Evans." There was a pause, "It seems to be documents. Shall I send her up?" Another pause. "Okay then, I'll let her know"

The woman hung up and turned back to Maka.

"Someone will be down in just a moment." She said and Maka nodded. She was a bit disappointed. She thought she would be able to see Soul working, but she supposed he was pretty busy. Oh well, she was lucky enough to see him every night when he came home. She couldn't ask for anything more.

A moment later and Maka watched as an elevator opened and a busty, black-haired woman stepped out. She was tall and looked asian. Very pretty, in an elegant and charming way. How intimidating. Someone like her worked so closely with Soul?

Maka quickly shook the thought from her head. No point in worrying about that.

"Hello, you must be Miss Albarn." The woman greeted.

"Maka is fine. Soul told me to deliver these documents. He forgot them this morning." Maka said, holding out the large bag full of heavy folders and documents.

The woman took it with an apologetic look, "Sorry, my boss is a bit of a scatter-brain sometimes. I'm Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Mr. Evans' personal secretary. You can call me Tsubaki."

Maka ignored the proud way she spoke of being Soul's secretary. Maybe such a job was something to be jealous of. That didn't mean there were any deeper feelings. Probably just admiration. Maybe she even cared about Soul. Platonic. Friendship. Probably.

"Right, well I should be going." Maka said, quickly turning away so as to not reveal her troubled face.

"Wait, um, I'm sorry for asking this, but what exactly is your relationship with Mr. Evans?" She asked suddenly, actually catching Maka off-guard. Maka struggled for a lie, but decided telling as much of the truth as she could would keep her from stumbling over her terrible lies.

"I'm his maid."

"You look like you're in high school." Tsubaki said, tilting her head in a thoughtful way.

"I was hired under special conditions." Maka muttered and Tsubaki gave her a skeptical look.

"I guess I can understand. Soul seems to hire people on a whim, it's how I got my own job, after all. Well, have a nice day...Maka. I'm sure Soul sends his gratitude." And with that she quickly strolled off and Maka, also, turned away. A little less confidently.

.

Tsubaki briskly walked back into the office, ignoring the people trying to get her attention. The office was a mess at the moment, mostly due to the fact that Soul's little vacation put them behind in a lot of work because he was not present to give his approval on anything. Tsubaki was quite peeved, but she understood that was just Soul's personality. He loved this company and he was a hard worker when it came down to it, but she knew that work wasn't his strong suit.

However, even more than all the turmoil and chaos going on within the office she had taken great pains to keep running smoothly, there was something more important to deal with first. Tsubaki walked right up to Soul's office and opened the door. He was buried in paperwork and didn't spare her a glance.

"What is it Tsubaki?" He asked as he scribbled away at a sheet of paper.

"The girl dropped off the missing documents just a moment ago."

He looked up at that.

"Is she here? You can let her in." Soul said, his face brightening a bit.

"You hardly have time to..._play_, Mr. Evans." She said and his smile fell.

"You sent her away." He sighed and went back to his work.

"Why exactly do you have a cute high school girl working as a maid for you?" She asked.

"It's complicated." He retorted simply.

"As your personal secretary, I think I should know. You do realize this could be a huge problem if anyone found out." She said, placing her hands on her curvy hips.

"Yeah, but I'm not too worried. She's really cautious. I'm surprised she even told you she was my maid, she usually tells people she's my neice. Maybe she was intimidated by you." He said, smiling to himself.

Tsubaki flushed, not realizing that Soul was actually admiring Maka and not her.

"I-I think you should tell me how you got yourself into this situation." Tsubaki said. And Soul did, because he never hid anything from Tsubaki. Mainly because she would eventually find out. Tsubaki, however, did not like the sound of any of this.

"But I never thought of it as a situation. I keep her around because I like her, she just happens to be getting something out of it." Soul finished, returning to his work.

"Are you two in a...er...sexual relationship?" Tsubaki asked, her face turning a bright shade of red.

"No." He said with a smirk, "Not yet."

"Mr. Evans, I think it's really...admirable what you're doing for this girl. She's obviously just a victim in all of this, but I don't think you should lead her on. If you're going to give her the money, just do it and let her return to her normal life."

"She said she liked me though. Why would I run her off?" Soul asked, seemingly deeply confused by Tsubaki's logic. A guy like Soul, who always got whatever he wanted, could not understand why he should give up something that belonged to him.

"Because it's the right thing to do. This girl has her entire life ahead of her, she's just getting started, but this whole situation was a terrible setback. You shouldn't complicate things with your personal feelings, she's probably mistaking her gratitude for love. You know, the damsel in distress falling in love with a man just because he saved her. It's not real." Tsubaki said and watched as Soul's face darkened.

"I know she likes me because she isn't that type of girl." Soul growled and Tsubaki became annoyed at his ignorance.

"And what proof do you have? You found this girl in a brothel, how can you believe anything she says?" Tsubaki asked, throwing up her hands in frustration.

"Because I trust her." He said simply, giving her a pointed look and she pressed her lips together.

"Okay, I trust your judgment, but you should make sure. How much longer until the contract is up?"

"I think three weeks now. Why?"

"I was just wondering what would happen if you gave her all the money before the time was up."

"And why would I want to do that?"

"If she likes you, she'll stay right? So it's really no big deal. Unless you feel like you _have_ to bribe her." Tsubaki said and Soul's eyebrows furrowed.

"Fine, I'll do it."

Tsubaki nodded and left out of the room, deciding she should get back to work. She didn't really care who Soul dated, as long as he didn't get himself into a bad situation. Maka seemed like a nice girl, though the fact that she was a high schooler was a bit scandalous, but she would graduate soon. But, for someone of her standing to want to be with someone like Soul, their relationship would not be a smooth ride.

She had to make sure Maka was the right one for her boss. Afterall, that was a part of _her_ job.

.

Soul, however, could not focus on his work for the rest of the day. With Tsubaki's help he somehow managed to get enough done to head home. He stopped at the bank along the way and withdrew the money he needed and then took the long route home. A million scenarios were running through his head and he did not like the outcome of most of them.

.

Maka was doing her homework on the sofa when Soul came home. It was pretty late and she had already showered and put dinner away. Soul loosened his tie as he walked into the living area where his cute maid was working. Maka gave him a shy smile.

"Welcome home." She greeted and he smirked as he sat down next to her, leaning his head against her shoulder. He really did enjoy this and he enjoyed his time with her. He liked her. And, hopefully, she liked him back. He wasn't yet sure what he would do if Maka took the money and left. Perhaps tracking her down and locking her up was an option.

"Something wrong? How was work?"

"Hectic. I'm tired."

"You should go shower, I'll fix your dinner." She said as she set her book aside to stand up. Soul grabbed her arm and pulled her against him.

"Later." He said as she rested in his lap and he buried his face in the nook between her shoulder and neck. Maka wasn't sure what was wrong, but she leaned back against Soul and absent-mindedly traced patterns on his arms that were wrapped tightly around her.

"I have something for you." He finally spoke.

"What is it?"

Soul reached into his pocket and retrieved a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Maka and looked away as she unfolded it. Soul felt Maka tense and he wrapped his arms more securely around her, though he was sure she wouldn't make a run for it. Maybe.

"W-Why are you giving this to me?" She asked, twisting around so she could look at him, a confused expression on her face.

"It's the money I owe you. A deal's a deal after all." He said, not making eye contact.

"But my contract isn't up yet."

Soul shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'm giving it to you now."

"S-Soul?"

Soul glanced up at the crack in her voice and inhaled sharply when he saw the hurt look she was giving him. As if he had delivered some devastating news.

"I-Is this your way of telling me to leave?" She asked.

"What?" Now he was confused. "No! Why would you think that!"

"I couldn't think of any other reason why you would do this. "

Soul sighed and scratched the back of his head. He looked at her dejected face again and decided to tell her what Tsubaki said. When he was done Maka seemed to have brightened up. She smiled and completely turned around in his lap to give him a hug.

"So you _do_ like me, huh?" She asked.

"Isn't that obvious? Why else would I keep you around." She rolled her eyes, but gave him a soft kiss.

"I like you too." She whispered against his mouth.

"Then, do you wanna be my girl, Maka?" He asked and she giggled before kissing him again.

"I thought you'd never ask."

.

Later that night the two were back on the sofa together, cuddled together as they watched a crappy TV show. It was getting late, but neither of them made any move to go to their respective rooms. They were both dozing off though and Soul decided to take a chance.

"Hey, do you wanna sleep with me tonight?" He asked.

"H-HUH?!" Maka asked, clearly surprised. To be expected of a girl with zero experience with the opposite sex. He might as well have asked her to get on her knees and service him. Which was a tempting thought but would have to wait until some other time. Hopefully in the near future.

"It's not like we're going to _do_ anything. We're just sleeping in the same bed." He said.

"B-But isn't that embarrassing?" She stammered and, despite the darkness, he could tell she was blushing all the way to her ears.

"It's really no different than what we're doing here." He said nonchalantly.

Which was, more or less, true. Soul laid against the arm of the sofa and Maka rested against him, her head on his chest. It was very comfortable, sort of relaxing when she got pass the fact that they were pressed flush against each other, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"O-Okay." She whispered and Soul stood up. He took her hand and cut the television off. They walked toward Soul's room, which was clean except for the mountains of paperwork that was haphazardly placed on every surface.

"You should really organize all of this." She acknowledged as Soul removed the papers from his bed.

"Some other time. Too tired. Need sleep." He muttered as he climbed into bed. Maka stood there for a moment before she climbed in after him. They pulled the covers over themselves and then faced each other in silence. There was a bit of space between them and Soul laughed at her sudden self-consciousness. He placed a hand on her waist and gently pulled her closer. They were pressed against each other again and Soul sighed as he easily fell asleep.

Maka had a bit more trouble. Not because she was still a tad embarrassed, but because whenever she was with Soul it seemed to dawn on her more and more that he was a man. An experienced man with needs.

She wondered if she would ever have sex with Soul.

She wondered if Soul thought she was attractive.

She shook her head clear of the thoughts.

Soul liked her. Soul asked her to be his girlfriend. Soul wanted to be with _her_ and not just because of a contract. She should be happy, she shouldn't get greedy. Truth be told, she wouldn't mind having sex with Soul if he asked, but that would come later.

Right now, she was content just being in his arms.

.

The next morning Maka woke up to something prodding her. She cracked her eyes open and it took a moment to realize she was no longer in her room. She felt a pair of arms around her, the sound of deep, steady breathing and something poking her back. Maka wiggled around a bit until she turned over to face Soul. And this time she felt it poking her stomach and it finally dawned on her.

Her face turned an alarming shade of red, but she wasn't sure what she should do. Was she the cause of this or were all guys erect in the morning? Perhaps something was wrong. Maybe Soul needed medical attention!

"S-Soul. Soul." Maka said softly, but firmly as she shook him a bit. He cracked his eyes opened.

"Hn? Time to get up?" He asked.

"Yes, but, I think you might have a problem." She said and Soul could see panic in her eyes. He was awake now.

"What is it? What happened?"

"Well, you're um...you know...you should be able to feel it!" She said, growing frustrated that he hadn't realized yet. Soul was confused for a moment longer before he realized what she was talking about. Maka could see a slight flush cross his cheeks before his smirk moved into place.

"Well, it's a natural reaction when I have my hot girlfriend pressed against me all night." He teased and watched as her face went to a fevery red shade.

"I'm going to start breakfast." She muttered as she got out of bed.

"Not gonna help me with this?" He asked and she looked back.

"D-Do you want me to?"

That was a surprise and Soul couldn't answer right away. After he regained his composure he stammered out,

"N-Never mind. Go start on breakfast."

Maka didn't need to be told twice. She quickly scurried out of the room and Soul let out a trembling breath as he rubbed a hand over his face. With responses like that, Soul wasn't sure how long he could keep himself in check. With how hard he was and his control wearing thin, he was tempted to march into that kitchen and take her there.

But he wanted Maka's first time to be special, so he couldn't do it yet. Because once Soul started there would be no stopping him.

After he managed to...calm down, Soul quickly showered and went to join Maka for breakfast, but he was surprised to see that they had a guest.

"Good morning, Mr. Evans." Tsubaki greeted from the table where she sipped coffee.

"Tsubaki? Why are you here?" He asked as he took a seat on his side.

"I was just wondering how things went, I see Maka is still here." Tsubaki acknowledged, but Maka was looking out of the window and did not respond.

"Yeah, she lives here, after all." Soul said.

"I see. Listen, I'm not going to tell you who to date. You're a smart man Mr. Evans, I'm sure you know what you're doing. I'm just saying, for the sake of both of you, you should probably think this through a bit more." Tsubaki pleaded.

"I like her and she likes me. Whatever problems come up we can deal with them together." Soul said confidently and Tsubaki shook her head. Maka, on the other hand, turned and gave him a small smile and that's all he needed. As long as he could make her smile, nothing else mattered.

"After you left yesterday, I received a phone call from your mother. She'll be in town tomorrow and she requested lunch with you. Perhaps, since you two are "dating" you should bring Maka along." Tsubaki suddenly said.

Soul was quiet for a moment and Maka noticed that he was clenching his fists.

"More importantly, why does she want to meet me?" Soul growled.

"I'm not sure. She didn't even ask if you were free." Tsubaki sighed, realizing this would put them even further behind in work.

"Of course she didn't. She doesn't think that what I do is serious, anyway." Soul said and stood up from his chair, his food untouched. "I'll go and I'll bring Maka with me. Tsubaki, please pick out an outfit for Maka to wear tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Tsubaki said and stood up, patting down her perfect pencil skirt.

"Okay, let's get going then." Soul said a stomped toward the door, the aura around him a lot darker now. Tsubaki took down his jacket and handed it to him, along with his briefcase. Maka stood back and watched how well the two worked together, almost like a married couple.

Tsubaki's phone rang and she excused herself out of the apartment to take it, Soul was right behind her when he stopped. He turned back to Maka and walked up to her. He swooped down and gave her a tender kiss with a small smirk.

"I don't plan on giving you up, but it won't be easy for us to be together. You're going to realize that tomorrow." Soul said and Maka could see some anxiety in the way he looked at her. "And, don't worry about Tsubaki. She's not the biggest fan of Liz and she thinks you might be another girl like her. I'll do my best to explain that you're not at all like whore #2."

She gave him a weak smile and kissed his cheek.

"Have a good day." She said and Soul gave her a wink before he disappeared through the door. Maka returned to the kitchen to eat her breakfast before it was time to leave for school. She used the time to ponder on what exactly had happened the last few days.

She was still trying to come to the terms with the fact that she and Soul were a mad her stomach do a little flip and her heart fluttered. Definitely a good thing.

However, it obviously was going to be a battle to stay together. Maka remembered that Soul was from a renown family, they probably wouldn't be happy to see him dating a lower-class high schooler. Maka wondered if she should study some proper etiquettes. Maybe she should ask Soul what his mother was interested in.

Maka thought of her own mother, who had abandoned her when she was younger. She thought of her father who she hadn't heard from in a month. Then an idea occured. Surely Mr. Kagami was keeping an eye on both her and Spirit, maybe he knew where her Papa had run off to.

With the idea still fresh in her mind, Maka quickly grabbed her school bag and rushed out of the apartment. Right after school, she would go straight to the brothel. Not only to inquire about her missing father, but to finally rid herself of this debt. She had more important things to worry about now.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

Sorry for the terrible wait. I've been preparing for my return to that mental institute known as school. It's my junior year. Wish me luck, I will try to update as often as I can.


	9. You're Loved

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 9: You're Loved**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

Maka tapped her pen against her desk as she stared out the window. She planned on going to ChupaCabra's right after school, but she was starting to wonder if it was a good idea. Probably not. Well, if she came up missing, hopefully Soul would come and look for her. Hopefully.

"Maka!"

Maka's attention snapped to the front of the room where she saw her angry teacher tapping his foot on the floor.

"Could you please come draw a number before the end of class, Miss Albarn?"

Maka flushed as she walked to the front of the classroom, her classmates snickering all the while. Immature jerks. It's true, Maka had never had friends growing up, but it's not like she wanted to be friends with these people. Soul was definitely better company than the imbeciles she went to school with.

Maka reached into the jar and grabbed one of the only two papers left. It said 5. Her teacher, Mr. Barrett, reached in and took the remaining paper and then scanned the room.

"Who did not come up to draw yet?" He called. There was silence, but in the back of the room a hand slowly raised and Maka let out a mental scream.

"Kid, you and Maka will be partners then. You can go back to your seat, Maka. Now, to discuss the project..." Mr. Barrett went back to explaining their project and Maka slinked back to her seat. She flopped down and glanced at Kid, the class perfectionist.

Maka liked order, she liked doing her best and getting good grades, but she was no where on the same level as Kid. If Maka was disliked by her classmates than Kid was despised. He said whatever he wanted, he wasn't afraid to correct their teacher or tell the truth. He had even, at one point in time, called Maka an idiot when she missed a problem. From that moment on, Maka hated him.

"Looks like we'll be partners." Kid whispered to her, but Maka continued to stare out the window.

"Guess so." She muttered.

"I can tell you are not happy about this arrangement, but there's nothing we can do about it. I don't know about you, but I want a good grade, so if we can just get along until the project is over..."

"Hm. Whatever." Maka muttered.

This was going to be a long week.

.

After school, Maka was already en route to ChupaCabra's when a shiny black car pulled up next to her. She half expected it to be Soul and half expected it to be Mr. Kagami here to kill her, but she was surprised when the window rolled down and Tsubaki's head popped out.

"Hey, I caught you just in time. Where are you going?" She asked.

"Um...nowhere. Why are you here?"

"Soul asked me to take you shopping."

"You don't have to, I have clothes." Maka muttered.

"I'm just following orders. Come on, hop in." Tsubaki said and Maka let out another mental scream. This day just couldn't get worse.

.

Scratch that, it could. Maka stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a puffy yellow dress that made her look like she was ten years old. The pigtails did not help.

"Aw, so cute." Tsubaki giggled as she handed Maka a green dress. Maka blushed and took it before returning to the dressing room. "Oh, I like this one too." Tsubaki said and tossed some white dress over the door, landing right on Maka's head.

"Hey, watch where you throw that!" Maka called and Tsubaki giggled again.

"This is kinda fun." Tsubaki said as she went through the racks. She heard the door open and Maka emerged in a green dress that was much too short for comfort. They both looked at each other for a moment before they broke out into laughter.

"Soul's mother would faint if she saw you in that!" Tsubaki laughed.

"This looks like something they made me where at ChupaCabra's." Maka said, wiping a tear from her eye. Tsubaki stopped laughing and turned back to the rack.

"How long were you in that place?" Tsubaki asked and Maka wondered where this had come from. She stepped back into the dressing room to chang, deciding she didn't want to look at Tsubaki as she spoke.

"It was only for a couple of days."

"Did you..." Maka heard moving and soon Tsubaki was whispering right outside her door, "Did you sleep with any of them?"

"NO!" Maka nearly screamed, almost ripping the dress as she yanked it over her head.

"Sorry, I was just wondering. So you're a...virgin?" Tsubaki asked.

"Y-Yes." Maka replied as she picked up the white dress to put on.

"You're lucky, Maka." Tsubaki said as she moved away from the door and Maka emerged.

"How so?"

Tsubaki smiled sadly and Maka wondered if she had said something wrong.

"I think that's the one."

"Yeah? I think so too." Maka said, twirling in the mirror.

.

Soul stood outside of _morte città bistro, _tapping his foot impatiently and glancing at his watch. It was almost five and neither his mother, nor Maka had shown up yet. He was just about to pull out his phone and call Tsubaki when he heard a baleful voice call out to him,

"I see you are on time for once."

Soul let out a heavy sigh and turned around to see his mother, but also, to his delight, his grandmother too. Soul smiled, ignoring his mother's scowl and went to give his dear granny a hug.

"How've you been, Granny? I didn't know you were coming." He said as he patted the frail woman's back.

"When I heard that Clarisse was going to visit you, I decided to tag along. You never come and see me anymore." She pouted and Soul could only smile. No matter how strained Soul was with his family, he could always go to his Granny if he needed anything.

"Well, shall we go in now? You remembered to make a reservation, right?" Clarisse sneered as she turned to walk into the restaurant. Soul rolled his eyes as he pulled out his phone.

"Yes, Mother, I have a reservation. I just have to make a quick call." He said over his shoulder.

"Save that for later. I'm famished and we have a lot to talk about tonight."

"Oh, Clarisse, don't you start. We're here to have fun tonight." Granny scolded.

"Mother, no one asked you to come along." Clarisse snapped back.

Soul ignored their bickering, since it was impossible for the two to go a single day without arguing and, instead, dialed Tsubaki's number. What could be holding them up?

"_Hello?_" The young secretary answered.

"Where are you guys? My mom and granny are already here!" Soul hissed into the phone.

"_Oh, so Julianna came along? I haven't seen her since the party we had last year for the new building unveiling." _Tsubaki reminisced.

"Tsubaki!" Soul nearly shouted.

"We're pulling up now, Mr. Evans."

Soul's head turned up the street and, sure enough, the familiar black company car pulled up to the curb. A valet attendant quickly went up to the car and opened the passenger door. Soul watched as a long and slender leg stepped out, followed by another, followed by the rest of the beautiful girl as she stood up. She patted down the white dress that fell just above her knees and flowed like it was made of air. She looked angelic. She nervously tucked a strand of her pale curly hair behind her ear and she turned to say something to Tsubaki.

She laughed, waved and turned away as the black car drove off. Her gaze landed on Soul and, for a moment, everything else faded away. Soul's attention focused solely on the beauty that walked toward him, but a bothersome nagging voice caused his attention to shift.

"Soul, would you stop ogling at that girl and come along! We'll lose our reservations." Clarisse grumbled as she turned to the entrance of the restaurant. Soul, however, ignored her and walked up the Maka, a sly smile on his face.

.

For a moment, Maka could only focus on Soul. Clad in a red button down shirt, a one-button velvet blazer and some amazingly sexy jeans, Soul looked hot. Hotter than usual. But then a beautiful older woman called out to him and Maka nearly turned away and ran. She was a short woman, compared to Soul, about the same height as Maka, but she stood with such poise and confidence that she might as well have been a young super model. Her hair was a glimmering white, slicked back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She had clear gray eyes, almost eerie, and she was pale in complexion. A ghostly, yet beautiful creature.

Another woman stood behind her and she seemed to be looking at Maka curiously. She was quite short, a little hunched back, but still quite lovely despite her old age. Her hair was short and whispy, but it complimented her pretty face. Her eyes were also a clear gray, but looked much warmer than the younger woman's. She didn't hold such a superior air as the woman that stood next to her, but Maka could sense a subtle regalness about her.

Nothing less from the women of the Evans family.

"You finally made it." Soul said as he reached out for her. He took her hand and Maka nearly snatched it away when the younger of the two women narrowed her eyes.

"Soul, do you know this girl?" She asked.

"Yes. Mother, this is my girlfriend, Maka Albarn." Soul introduced. Maka flushed but extended her free hand to the woman.

"I-It's nice to meet you." She stammered out with a nervous smile. The woman wrinkled her nose in distaste and turned away. Maka was appalled by her blatant rudeness. Rich or not, this woman couldn't just stick her nose in the air and treat Maka like some untouchable.

"Ahem."

Maka looked down and saw the frail woman holding out her hand.

"Julianna Evans, please excuse my daughter's behavior. She was born with a stick in her posterior." The woman joked and both Soul and Maka laughed.

"Maka, this is my Granny. The ill-mannered woman over there is my mother, Clarisse."

"It's really nice to meet you both." Maka said with a bright smile, one that Granny returned.

"It's nice to meet you too, dear. I believe you're the first girl that Soul has ever introduced us to." Granny chuckled.

"I believe you, Mrs. Julianna."

"Oh, please, Granny is fine with me."

"Oh. Okay...Granny." Maka said bashfully and Soul squeezed her hand. She looked up to see him smiling at her, a twinkle in his eyes. The look made her melt and made her want to jump him, but a voice stopped her,

"Would you all hurry up. We have been standing out here forever now, I would like to eat sometime soon." Clarisse called as she walked up to the hostess and gave Soul's name. She retrieved a few menus and led them inside the quaint restaurant.

"This is going to be a long evening." Soul sighed, but Maka didn't want him to elaborate.

With company like Clarisse, she could already tell.

.

This night was going horribly, absolutely horribly!

Upon sitting down, their waitress asked if the group would like to start off with any drinks. Both Granny and Maka asked for a cup of Earl Grey tea. Clarisse asked for a cup of the house wine and Soul asked for a scotch on the rocks. Both of them were now nearing their third glass and their food hadn't even arrived yet.

"I just don't understand you, Soul. Your father and I spent so much money on your schooling, on those music classes, on that Kuhn-Bösendorfer piano. Do you have any idea how much that cost, Soul! Your father went mad when he found out that you had destroyed it."

"I didn't even ask for that damn piano. I already told you that I didn't want to play anymore but, instead of listening, you go off and buy that thing. I sold the crystals if it's any consolation."

"You're such an ungrateful child. I don't know where I went wrong with you! Wes turned out so great, toping the charts in classical music at such a young age. Such a gifted child." Clarisse said, a sad smile on her red lips as she swirled her wine.

"Please, Mother, Wes is the last thing I want to be talking about tonight."

"Oh not this again. Your damn inferiority complex." Clarisse sighed in frustration.

Maka and Granny had been sipping their tea quietly, listening as the two went back and forth. However, at the mention of the inferiority complex, Granny had to speak up.

"Clarisse, that's enough. You haven't seen your son in six months and you want to spend the evening arguing? There are so many more topics we could be discussing." Granny said.

"Mother, you just don't understand! You only had me to worry about and I was a girl. You can't even begin to fathom how difficult boys were, especially when they were so competitive. It was exhausting." Clarisse rubbed her temples and took a large gulp of her wine.

"True, I probably can't. I mean, I only had one child and she nearly drove me over the edge." Granny grumbled quietly and Maka giggled.

"Oh and you, how exactly did you manage to lure in my son? Are you the daughter of a CEO or something?" Clarisse said suddenly, turning her focus to Maka. Maka straightened her back as she replied,

"No, I'm the only daughter of Kami and Spirit Albarn."

"And who exactly are they?" Clarisse asked in an exasperated tone.

"My father is a salesman and I don't know what my mother did, she left when I was small."

"Hm, do you have mother issues now? I hear that girls that don't have a proper woman figure become insecure and maybe even turn out to be alcoholics or bad mothers themselves." Clarisse sneered.

"Hey!" Soul suddenly shouted, standing up in his seat. Clarisse looked up at him, clearly surprised. Even Granny looked a little alarmed. Maka, however, was used to Soul's outbursts. She, instead, glanced nervously around the room, hoping they wouldn't be kicked out. This was a nice restaurant, she hadn't even gotten her food yet!

"Soul, what's gotten into you?" Clarisse asked, feighing ignorance.

"She has, Mother." Soul said, pointing to Maka who looked at him in horror. "I'm in love with that girl and I won't sit here and let you talk about her like that. Apologize. Now."

"_Apologize_, Soul, you cannot be serious. You would put some girl over your own mother?"

"If I ever thought of you as an actual mother, maybe not. You've been the cause of a lot of grief in my life mother, but I've finally managed to get away from you. I left home, I put myself through business school, I started my own company. I'm doing great now. I thought I had finally escaped you and Father's influence and yet you two just seem to pop up everytime something good is going on in my life."

"Soul, how could you say that! Your Father and I care about you very much!"

"No you don't. You care about what I could have become. The Evans have always been musicians and you couldn't stand it that I finally broke the tradition."

"Because you did it for such a silly reason! All because you didn't like Wes!" Clarisse snapped.

"It's because I was always being compared to Wes, Mother! I wouldn't have minded being a pianist, even though I never really liked it, I was always trying to make you and Father proud, but it's like you were disappointed that I wasn't on Wes's level yet, even though I was seven years younger than him. Mother, I will never be Wes." Soul finished. He lifted the glass on the table and shot back the rest of his drink.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm no longer in the mood to "chat". I'll be returning home now. Granny, it was great to see you again. Maybe we can have lunch some other time." Soul said, kissing the old woman on the cheek.

"I understand, Soul." She said with a nod. Soul smiled and reached down to Maka who had been stunned into silence. He grabbed ahold of her wrist and pulled her out of her seat.

"By the way, if you ever speak ill about my girlfriend again, Mother, I swear that I will break all contact with you. And I mean it this time." Soul said coldly and pulled Maka away.

Maka glanced over her shoulder where the waiter had shown up with their meals. Granny easily began to eat hers while Clarisse sat there, staring off blankly at her plate. The waiter seemed confused about the empty seats, but still placed the foods down, unaware that the two would not be returning. It really was a shame.

.

"I didn't even get to taste the tortellini. Not to mention the peach melba Granny and I were going to order." Maka muttered to herself as she and Soul drove in the back of a cab together. His elbow rested on the window seal and he stared out the window as he spoke,

"Sorry, I'll bring you back another day." Soul responded mechanically.

Maka looked at him and let out a sigh.

"What was all that about?" She finally asked.

"I don't want to talk about it."

How childish.

"I'm not going to force you or anything, but you shouldn't keep it all bottled in." She said as she placed her hand gently on top of his.

"What's there to say that you didn't hear from our argument?"

"I want to know which of it was actually true."

"It's all true."

"I seriously doubt that."

Soul groaned and finally turned to face the girl.

"Fine. My brother, Wes, was perfection. He was the first-born, he was smart, he was nice, he was cool and everyone loved him. And then I came along. I was seven years younger than Wes and it just wasn't possible for me to catch up to him. I was always in his shadow. Even when I did something right I wasn't first or it wasn't as good as Wes!

Finally I got into playing the piano, something Wes couldn't compete with me in because I was an interpreter. Wes could play every note perfectly on his violin, as if he was the composer himself. I, however, didn't follow the sheet music perfectly. I changed music to fit my character, my feelings and that's what set me apart from Wes."

Soul looked down at Maka's hand, which still rested on his and he interlocked their fingers together as he seemed to ponder on some deep thought.

"I thought I was finally happy. I thought I could finally rub it in his face, but Wes just told me that he was proud and to continue doing what I loved. I was...shocked to say the least. I was half hoping he would get pissed and hit me or something. But Wes's attitude just showed me how stupid I was. I didn't particularly like the piano, I wasn't in love with music like he was, I was just doing it because I knew I could finally surpass him.

I gave up on music when I was around 14, started looking for other ways to get my parents attention. I turned into a problem kid but I hated the way Wes looked at me as if I were an idiot. So when I got into high school I went down an academic path instead, it led me to where I am today."

"And Wes, what does he have to say about that? Is he proud of you? Do you two still talk?" Maka asked, but frowned when Soul shook his head slowly.

"It was my senior year of high school. Wes was coming home from my graduation party, it was raining..." Soul trailed off and Maka let out a gasp before she clasped her hand over her mouth.

"I-I'm sorry." She said blinking back tears.

"No, it's been six years. No point in crying about it now, especially when you didn't even know the guy." Soul said as he swiped a tear that escaped down Maka's cheek.

"No...it's just that...You look so sad Soul." Maka whispered. Soul pressed his lips together as he rubbed his thumb over the back of Maka's hand.

"Maka."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." Soul said with a crooked smile.

"For what?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"For listening. Not even Granny was willing to give me a shoulder to lean on. Everyone took his death pretty hard and I think that's mostly what caused the rift, as if everyone wished that I had died instead-"

"That's not true, Soul!" Maka exclaimed.

"Maybe. But I can't forget how at the funeral everyone was looking at me as if _I_ killed Wes. Granny wouldn't talk to me for almost a month. I guess she felt bad after a while, but people just don't forget."

"Your Granny loves you, Soul."

"I know she does, she's like a mother to me. But I also know I'm not loved as much as him."

"I love you."

"You never knew Wes." He said with a laugh.

"But Wes is gone, Soul. You're alive so shouldn't you just be happy? I don't think Wes would want you to continue kicking yourself over this so many years later. It's like your family can't move on. You shouldn't forget him, but you all can't keep mourning over him like this." Maka said.

Soul stopped his stroking and glanced up at her, "You're right."

"I know I'm right."

"I don't know if it'll be as easy as you say for everyone else, but I don't mourn over Wes's death anymore. But the topic always comes up when I'm with my family, particularly my mother. It's like she wants to open up old wounds."

"You shouldn't let her get to you."

"I won't. Trying to hurt me is one thing, but I nearly flipped the table when she turned her anger on you." He said with a soft chuckle.

"You're such an idiot." She whispered and leaned in to kiss him gently. "I'm here for you. So it's okay to get mad or be sad and to do what you want to do. You don't need to impress me and I won't judge you for your past. I only know this Soul, the one that saved me from that brothel, took me in and made me fall in love."

"How poetic." He teased and Maka lightly punched him.

"You're so unromantic." She huffed and Soul laughed before leaning in to whisper,

"How about I show you how romantic I can be when we get home?"

Maka didn't respond to that, her cheeks flushed red and she lowered her head, but she squeezed Soul's hand as if to convey that she would very much like that.

"D.C. Condos, we're here." The taxi driver announced as he pulled up to the curb.

"Thank you." Soul said as he handed over some cash, "Keep the change."

He opened the door and helped Maka out and the two walked hand-in-hand into the condo. There were people standing in the lobby that gave both of them curious glances as they walked toward the elevator, but they ignored the looks.

They quietly walked back to their quiet room and shut the door on all of the doleful events from earlier. Both of them deciding to fill the void of emptiness left by the loss of someone close with the realization that they had gained something new: An immeasurable amount of love for each other.

**To Be Continued...**

****This was written very quickly during a free class period I had so please excuse any grammatical mistakes. I introduced Kid in this chapter, not to mention Soul's mother and Granny who will serve as a link to Soul's past. I corrected an earlier chapter (I think chp. 2) where I mentioned Wes as still living. I also gave hints at Tsubaki, who I am hoping will become a womanly figure to Maka, as having a bit of a darker past.

I do not mean to leave such a long AN, but I feel it's necessary to warn you that I am pulling a bit away from the whole debt situation, though that is the foundation of the story and everything, in the end, will be linked to it. Sorry if i gave away too much . I think there was something else I wanted to say, but I forgot. I'm sure you all will find something to point out in the lengthy chapter, but don't hesitate to do so.


	10. You're Cherished

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 10: You're Cherished**

**(Sexual Content Below)**

**-by: SimplyPocky-**

Soul closed the door behind them and leaned against it. He had a smirk on his face, one Maka couldn't quite interpret. She raised a delicate eyebrow and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked.

"I was just thinking that we've come a long way." He said and reached out to the girl, pulling her to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her body closely to his. She looked up at him to see him watching her closely.

"You're being pretty sentimental tonight." She teased and he rolled his eyes.

"It's been a pretty..._emotional _ evening." He amended.

"Let's not think about that then." She said, patting his cheek when she saw something raw pass over his face. An emotional Soul was new to Maka, she didn't know there were such a tidal wave of supressed feelings under his cool demeanor. She realised this was a hurt man with a painful pass. She hoped she could help relieve some of this burden he had been carrying for so long.

"Okay, then how about we do something else." He said as he leaned down closer to her face until they were only a breath apart.

"L-Like what?" Maka stammered, swallowing audibly.

There had been several moments that Maka and Soul had kissed since their confession of feelings, but nothing was as steamy and passionate as that moment. It seemed like both of them were always too busy or too tired. Maka would be lying if she said she didn't want to kiss Soul again, even make out, but she wasn't exactly adept in the skills of seduction. Nor was she quite used to being in a relationship yet.

"Shall I show you?" He asked but did not wait for her reply before he gently pressed his lips against hers. Soft, nothing special, but it still ignited a sort of spark between the two. It was easy for them both to fall under the spell. Maka sighed, her hands slowly creeping up until they rested on his wide shoulders.

Soul's grip around her tightened, pressing her as closely to him as possible. His hands rubbed her back as he tilted his head to get better access to her mouth. Suddenly, Maka pulled away, her gaze a little unfocused.

"What's wrong?" He asked, using as much self-control as he could muster not to continue kissing her. If he had learned anything from his girlfriend it was the art of patience. Rushing Maka usually only got him a slap to the face and the silent treatment for a couple of hours. Maybe even no dinner depending on how bad he messed up.

"Not here," She breathed and Soul growled as he lifted her up. Maka squealed as he easily carried her through the living room, kitchen, down the hall and into his room. He opened the door, but upon seeing the large mess on his bed he quickly turned around and went to Maka's room instead. It was perfectly tidy, just like he expected.

Soul didn't pay much attention to that, however, he was too busy laying Maka on the bed. Her head hit a pillow and Soul was quickly over her. He looked down at her for a moment, her golden hair splayed across the pink pillow. Her cheeks were flushed as she waited to see what his next move would be.

He smirked inwardly. He liked feeling in control.

"I love you." He said huskily, causing the blush to deepen on her cheeks.

"I-I love you too." She said bashfully. She wasn't used to that either, but she did quite like being in a loving relationship. There was something very lovey-dovey about them at this moment.

"Of course you do. It's impossible not to fall for me." He teased and it was her turn to roll her eyes. It was definitely not the time to be joking. Soul always managed to ruin romantic moments.

"I hope to find the girl that blew up your ego so much and smack her." Maka said with a dry smile on her kiss-swollen lips.

"I think it's more like genetics, but my mother could use a few smacks."

Maka laughed at that, the thought of hitting that cruel woman putting a big smile on her face. Soul took the opportunity to kiss her again, easily sliding his tongue into her mouth. She sighed as it swept over her own tongue and they danced together for a moment. He explored her entire mouth, devouring it greedily, and enjoying the arousing moans she emitted the entire time.

After a moment Soul broke away to let her breathe and Maka sucked in a large breath of air, making a cute gasping sound at the same time. Soul quickly dove for her neck, biting it lightly and sucking it roughly until he saw a bruise form. He loved leaving his mark on her milky skin. Maka hated it, but she wouldn't realize it until tomorrow.

"S-Soul..." She sighed as he suckled her jaw and neck for a little longer. He moved aside the straps of her dress for better access and he trailed his tongue along her shoulder. The straps were so thin, her dress was so delicate, he could rip it off her with ease.

He wanted to. He wanted to tear these clothes off of her. Now.

Soul placed his hands on Maka's thighs, gently rubbing them. He moved higher and higher and more inwardly until Maka's legs were spreading on their own. They had never gotten this far before, Soul was taking a chance and Maka seemed to be handling it well. Thank god her body knew what it wanted. And right now it wanted more of him.

Soul, however, was caught of guard when Maka lifted her leg. He was conveniently stradling her, easily pinning her down on the bed, but Maka wasn't completely inept. She gently nudged Soul's bulge and the man hissed. Feeling in control, she did it again and again, careful not to hurt him, but rough enough that she could feel him hardening.

Soul growled as he bit into her shoulder and his hands quickly lifted her dress up. He heard a tear, but that didn't stop him. He would buy Maka a million dresses if she wanted a new one. He would do anything for her, but he wasn't thinking about that either. He was thinking about her cute white panties with lacy trim. He was thinking about the heat he could feel radiating off that area. He was thinking about the darkened spot in the center which indicated that Maka was enjoying this just as much as him.

He was thinking about the spot where he would claim his girlfriend and make her completely his. To rob her of her innocence, to knock her into this dainty headboard, to have her screaming his name so loud that the neighbors could hear.

Soul leaned his body down until his bulge was against her area, pressing firmly against her so Maka could understand what he was implying. She flushed as she looked down at where they touched.

"Soul, do-do you wanna t-try it?" She stammered and Soul could feel her begin to tremble slightly. He kissed her cheek softly and whispered in her ear,

"Only if you want to, babe."

"I-I don't care!" She quickly said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Don't say it like that. I only want to do it if you're really ready."

"But I dont know. I'm new to all this, I'm not really sure how this works." She muttered and Soul chuckled, much to her chagrin. "It's not funny."

"It's cute. I'm not going to rush you, I'll wait as long as I have to, but I'm afraid this bulge won't be going away on it's own." He said and sat up. Maka continued to lay there and watch as he unbuckled, unbutton and unfasten his pants. He tugged them down a bit until his bulge was fully revealed under his wine-colored briefs.

Maka wasn't sure what was going on. He said he would wait, but they were still continuing. She was quiet as she and Soul watched each other for a moment.

"You look confused." He finally commented.

"Are we doing it?" She asked, sounding clearly confused. Soul chuckled again and shook his head.

"No, not today." He said, but easily lifted her legs up so he could press himself against her again. "But there are other things I want to do with you." And he ground his hips against her, gaining a moan from the teen.

He did it again and again until they set a nice rhythm. Maka's hands gripped Soul's shirt as she rubbed herself against Soul. It was amazing. The friction, the heat, the sounds. Okay, maybe the sounds weren't because clearly Maka was the only one that was making them. She was the one panting, chanting, moaning, groaning and making sloppy wet noises that she couldn't control because she was absolutely soaked.

Soul pushed into her harder, until he was pressed fully against her on the bed and he rocked himself roughly against her. The bed shook and creaked and Maka was calling his name just like he wanted. Granted, he wasn't fucking her brains out, but this was the next best thing. She was wet and he could feel it through his briefs and she was kissing him hungrily and she was grinding her hips frantically, trying to get off.

Soul gave a hard thrust, he swerved his hips a bit and gave Maka a long, languid kiss as he felt her climax. Her back arched, pressing her petite breasts against him and she gave a muffled moan into his mouth. That was enough to send Soul over the edge. His body went rigid as he climaxed and he gave a long groan before he collapsed next to the girl.

They both layed there for a moment, trying to catch their breath. Then they turned to face each other and a bubble rose up in Maka before she started to giggle.

"What are you laughing at?" Soul asked. The girl rolled over, throwing one leg over him as she kissed him gently. One orgasm and she was suddenly daring? She never ceased to amaze him.

"That was great." She whispered seductively and Soul tried to focus on unrelated things so he wouldn't become erect again. If that happened he was positive he wouldn't be able to control himself.

"Wait until you try the real thing." He said with a wink and Maka blushed.

"Well, we could do it now if you want. I think I'm ready." She said, looking down at the delicate buttons on his shirt. A few of them were torn off from her deathly grip on his shirt. She would have to compensate him for it later. Perhaps she would cook his favorite tomorrow.

"Maka your birthday is in a month, right?" He asked and Maka looked up at him. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Yeah?"

"You'll be eighteen then. I think we should wait." He said certainly, though it pained him to say those words. He wanted to take them back, but he lost his chance when Maka replied,

"Okay, if that's what you want."

No, it wasn't what he wanted, but he needed to think about Maka. He needed to make sure she still wanted him even after she paid back the debt. He wanted to say he was confident, but he just wasn't sure. Maka was full of surprises. She might want to return to her old life after all of this.

"Hey, what did you do with that check I gave you?"

"It's in my room, I haven't given it to him yet. I almost went today, but Tsubaki stopped me."

"You should pay it back as soon as possible. The sooner you're debt free, the sooner I can stop worrying about you. I don't like that Kagami guy, I get the feeling he's been keeping tabs on you. If he ever came near you..."

"Calm down. I'll wait until the actual due date before I give him the check, I don't trust him either." She said, stifling a yawn. Soul smiled and sat up. He pulled his shirt off and shucked off his pants before he turned to Maka.

He easily lifted her dress over her head, revealing her perky breasts. He couldn't believe he had neglected them during their dry humping. He savored them for a moment, but decided he wouldn't tempt himself. He quickly reached for Maka's comforter and pulled it over her.

"Let's sleep." He said and Maka rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Such self-restraint." She mused.

"Don't get any ideas, Maka. I mean it about waiting."

"This should be fun." She teased, giving him a peck on the lips before she layed down and drifted off to sleep. It was quite a while longer before Soul managed to fall asleep himself. He made sure to keep a safe distance from the sleeping beauty less he attack her in her sleep.

It was going to be a difficult month.

**To Be Continued...**

People kept asking for it so I gave you all a taste. I've been trying to hold off on any sexual activities because this will also be a big factor in my plot. I'm not going to give anything away, but let's just say they won't make it until her birthdayXD


	11. The Shift

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 11: The Shift**

**-by SimplyPocky-**

* * *

Maka finished her meal, dabbing the corners of her mouth before she stood. She carried her plate to the sink where she would leave it until she got home. She walked over to Soul and laid a kiss on his cheek. He smirked and continued to sip his coffee, his eyes never leaving his newspaper.

"Someone is being affectionate." He teased and received a pinch on the cheek in return.

"Don't be late for work, jerk." She said as she turned to leave. "See you later."

"Be safe." He called and, without thinking, added, "Love you."

"Love you too!" She called from the door before stepping out. She sighed as she clutched her satchel to her chest and walked to the elevator and out the condo. Life with Soul was so perfect, better than anything she had ever experienced. Her life before had been full of troubles and anxieties. She worried about money, worried about her father, worried about school, but now she didn't worry about those things so much. She missed her father terribly and she was still restless to get rid of this debt that was looming over her, but now that she had Soul, it seemed like those things could be easily resolved.

With Soul it seemed like anything was possible. She was confident, she was safe, she was happy. And it was all thanks to him.

"Good morning, Miss Albarn."

Maka let out a heavy sigh, thoughts of her happy life evaporating instantly. She turned around, a forced smile adorning her face as she faced Kid. His hands were in his pocket, an annoyed look on his face. If anyone should be feeling annoyed it should be her!

"G-Good morning, Kid. What's up?" She asked tightly, trying to keep her smile in place.

"It's about time you got here. How long did you expect me to wait?" He asked, sighing tiredly. Maka's smile dropped as she glared at the boy.

"I don't recall asking you to wait for me, but I'm here now so what do you have to say?"

"We have a week to complete this project and I will not waste a second more arguing with you. After school we will go to your home to get started. Understand?" He said, already turning to leave.

"What! No! No, no, no, that's not a good idea." She said, quickly running ahead to block his fast stride.

"Oh? And why not?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her panicked expression.

"My house is no good. H-How about yours?" She asked nervously.

"No, I do not like outsiders in my home if I can help it. My sisters are enough of a burden." He said, rubbing his temples as if just the thought of them gave him a headache. "Your house should be fine."

"Will you just listen to what people tell you! We can work at the library instead, sound good?"

Maka watched as Kid's face went pale and he looked at her in horror.

"The…library?"

Maka's eyebrows furrowed, "Yeah, Death City Public Library. They're opened late so…"

"No, absolutely not. I would rather fail then go in there." He said, crossing his arms like a child.

"Is something wrong with the library?"

"The terrible organization, the layers of dust on those worn-out books, the germs from the computers…" He was muttering to himself, ignoring Maka's question as he turned away.

"Hey, you didn't answer me!

"We will work at your house as planned." He called back to her.

"Obviously you weren't listening to me. Besides, I have work after school." She said, running to catch up with him. Maka let out a squeak when Kid suddenly whirled around, his features hardening.

"Yes, you work at Sweet Tooth, right?"

"Huh? How did you know that? Are you stalking me now?"

"Hardly. Let's just say I have a history with the manager there."

"Justin?" Maka asked, wondering what Justin could have possibly done to piss Kid off so much.

"Just hearing his name…." Kid said, clenching his fists at his side, "Here's some advice Miss Albarn: Quit working there. That guy is definitely no good."

"You're talking about Justin right? Justin Law? He doesn't have a mean bone in his body." Maka scoffed.

Kid let out a sigh and rolled his eyes before turning away, "Don't say I didn't warn you, Idiot."

"Hey, who are you calling an idiot!" Maka shouted as she ran after him.

This partnership really wasn't going to work out.

.

Soul Evans quickly walked down the hallway, people scrambling and running about around him. Five minutes in the office and he was already being bombarded with work. Why couldn't there ever be a peaceful day?

"Because you like to take unexpected vacations, Mr. Evans! Without you here we cannot sign off on anything and that means paperwork piles up, deadlines are missed, and clients are angry!" Tsubaki said, clearly exasperated as she tried to hand Soul some paperwork to sign, but he ignored her.

"You've forged my handwriting before, I trust your judgment."

"That was to sign a Thank You card! I will not forge your signature for million dollar contracts, sir." She said as they came to his office. "Wait!"

Tsubaki suddenly stepped in front of the door.

"Is it Elizabeth again?" He asked.

"No, much worse." She said sheepishly. Soul gave her a skeptical look, wondering what could be worse than Elizabeth. He gently moved her aside as he opened the door. He half expecting to see his mother, but was surprised when he met a smiling, spectacled. Oh yes, this was much worse than Elizabeth. This was worse than his mother and Elizabeth in the same room together!

"Arthur Hepburn, what brings you here?" Soul greeted tightly, giving a forced smile as he closed the door.

"If you'll excuse me." Tsubaki said, quickly making an escape. She was going to get it when he was done. He would make her work until her fingers bled after leading him into this lion den without warning.

"It's good to see you, Soul Evans." The man said.

He had taken the liberty of occupying Soul's chair. His big, comfy and intimidating chair. Soul did not like being on the opposite side of that chair. It made him feel like he wasn't in control.

"I can't say the feeling is mutual. What are you doing here, Arthur?" Soul asked again, his smile still in place.

"Just came to have a chat." Arthur said as picked up one of Soul's stress balls from the table and tossed it in the air. "I've been thinking about some things lately."

"What sort of things?" Soul asked.

"The future of our companies. You know, I never wanted to go into business. I always wanted to be a teacher, but when my father passed away, I felt like I needed to continue the "family business"."

"And what does this have to do with me?"

"Business isn't fun, especially when you're an old company trying to compete with a new, fast-rising rival. It's exhausting and, honestly, I just don't want to do it anymore."

"Will you please get to the point." Soul nearly snapped and Arthur placed the ball back down before folding his hands together, his expression now serious.

"Might I suggest a partnership?"

"A partnership? And why would you want that? Your company is clearly superior to mine; it would take years to even get close to the level that the Hepburn Corporation is on." Soul said, hating his words, but knowing that that they were true.

"And like I said, you're a fast-rising company. We might have the experience, but you have the dedication. You're really leaving your mark on the business world, other companies are amazed. They think it's only a matter of time before you over-take us."

"Is this your way of saving your company then?"

"Something like that. My father left me this company and I do not want to see it fall to ruin. I've been doing my best, but business really isn't my cup of tea. I'm suggesting a partnership so I won't have to compete anymore. I can finally rest easy knowing my company won't fall."

"And if I refuse."

"Then we will destroy Evans Enterprise."

Soul turned around at the sound of the voice and his heart stopped. A woman stood in the door way, her arms crossed, a hard look on her face – a face that looked frighteningly familiar.

"I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place." Soul managed to say, surprised that his voice was so calm when he was going crazy on the inside.

"Don't let your pride get in your way, Mr. Evans. I suggest you think long and hard about this."

"Dear, stop scaring him." The man said, laughing coldly as he stood up from the chair and walked around the large, oak desk. He went to stand by the woman, placing an affectionate arm around her and Soul held his breath. "Sorry, my wife is all business. If she doesn't get what she wants…well, you know how it can be."

Yes, because Maka had that same trait. And now he knew where she got it from.

"A-And who is this, Arthur? I didn't know you were married." Soul said, turning to the woman who didn't seem to possess the ability to smile.

"Kami Hepburn. We've been married for almost seventeen years now." Arthur said happily, as if it were the greatest thing to happen to him.

"Pleasure to meet you." The woman said, none of the kind words reaching her face.

"Likewise. Listen, Arthur, I'll definitely think about your proposal. Just give me some time to get some things straightened out over here."

"Sure thing, son. Take your time." Arthur said, clasping Soul tightly on his shoulder as he turned away.

He watched as the woman left too, her long and golden hair swaying as she walked. Graceful, beautiful, cold. That woman was Maka's mother. There was no doubt about it. She wasn't missing, she really had abandoned Maka.

.

Maka tiredly placed her apron back on its hook and retrieved her bag. Her shift was finally over and she couldn't wait to get home and rinse the smell of sweets off her body. Soul always told her she smelled delicious, but if Maka ever saw another sweet again she was sure she would be sick. Too bad for Soul. He seemed to really like sweets and, after helping out in the kitchen a few times, Maka had gotten really good at baking. Soul would never know that though, because she will never bake outside of this place.

"Hey Maka, how about you let me give you a ride home." Justin offered, tossing his keys in the air and catching them with a charming smile. Despite everything that happened, Justin still hadn't given up the pursuit to gain Maka's heart. She was flattered, but it was also very tiring. She hated to constantly reject him, he was just so sweet.

"That's okay Justin, I'll walk home. It's still bright out." Maka said, waving him off.

"Come on, it's a lot quicker this way." He pressed, stepping in front of her. She stopped in her steps, gave a nervous smile and then tried stepping around him while saying,

"It's only a few blocks away, besides, I need the exercise."

Maka had just reached the door, quickly grabbing the handle. But when she pulled it open, Justin's hand shot out, slamming it back shut. With his other hand he locked the door and successfully trapped Maka between him.

"Why do you keep rejecting me?" Justin asked, looking down at her with a sad expression.

"I-I'm sorry Justin, but there's someone I really like." Maka said, realizing that she had hurt one of her only friends. His sad expression turned mirthful, however, and he began to laugh.

"Your uncle? Is that who I'm competing with? Well that'll be easy since you two can't be together."

Maka was surprised at this sudden change in personality and she stared at Justin's mocking face. She felt her anger flare and she glared at the blond boy.

"It's none of your business."

"It is my business. I've set my eyes on you Maka and I'm not giving up until you're mine. So we can do this the easy way," Justin said, caressing Maka's cheek. She jerked her face away and Justin's smile fell, "or we could do this the hard way."

"Will you just listen to me! I don't love you, I will never love you and nothing you say will change my mind!"

"Tough for you, baby, but I'm not looking for love anymore." He said coldly and leaned down to kiss her neck. Maka gasped and shoved him away before running around him. She knew what was happening; she needed to get out of here. The back door Chef Katayami used should still be open. If only she could make it there.

"Where do you think you're going?" He growled and suddenly Maka was being slammed into the counter. Her stomach hit the edge and there was a sharp pain as the breath was knocked out of her. Justin leaned against her, his mouth against her ear. "Say you love me."

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" Maka screamed at the top of her lungs. Justin quickly flipped the girl over and gave her a silencing slap against her face. It stung and the tears flowed down her face as she cradled her throbbing cheek.

"Shut the fuck up. This is what happens when you play with my emotions." He growled. He smacked his hand against her mouth and leaned her back against the counter. Maka whimpered and struggled, but it was futile. Justin was stronger, she could barely move. He leaned down and laid a kiss on her neck and the girl gave muffled cries as she accepted what was going to happen to her.

Would Justin silence her after the act? Would Soul still love her?

These thoughts were occupying her mind, letting her ignore Justin's roaming mouth, eager hands and disgusting words. But suddenly something broke through to her, a gentle knocking at the front door. Justin swore and quickly sat up he glared down at Maka hissing out,

"If you say anything, I'll fucking kill you."

Maka whimpered as Justin's face eased into a smile and he turned to the front door. Both of them walked to it, Maka close behind, ready to make a dash when Justin unlocked it. To her surprise however, she saw a familiar face and relief washed over her.

"Hello, are you closed already?" Kid greeted. Maka tried to step around Justin to see the boy, but Justin easily shoved her back, knocking her to the ground.

"Sorry, we're closed, come back tomorrow." Justin said, ready to close the blind and cover the small window.

"Actually, I have an order to pick up. I'll be quite peeved if I don't receive it." She heard him say and Justin let out a sigh.

"As demanding as ever, Kid." Justin said and Maka's eyes widened. Kid and Justin really did know each other! Why oh why didn't she listen to him?

"Just give me my order or I'll have to contact your parents. Technically it's not even closing time yet. How haphazard of you." Kid said, looking down at his watch. "Will you open the door now?"

"How about I just go and get your doughnuts." Justin offered and turned to face Maka, giving her a look that she understood. Maka quickly stood and rushed off to get the box that had been left on the counter in the kitchen. She rushed back, not about to miss her opportunity to get the hell out of her. She only had one chance, she needed to shove her way out when Justin unlocked that door.

"I got the doughnuts." Maka said loudly so Kid could hear her. Justin glared and snatched the box from her.

"An employee?" Kid asked.

"Newbie. Full of energy." Justin joked as he unlocked the door. He glanced at Maka, stepping aside to block her path. That wouldn't stop her. As soon as the door opened, Justin tried to shove the box through the opening and Maka used that moment to let out an ear-splitting scream and push her way past Justin.

Justin shoved the box through and tried to close the door, but Kid was quick. He put his foot through the threshold and pushed the door open. With Maka gripping at his clothes and Kid forcing his was in, Justin couldn't close the door. It opened and Maka quickly stepped out, about to make a run for it. She glanced behind her and saw Kid land a punch on Justin's face, knocking the boy to the ground. Maka stopped to watch the amazing scene.

"That was for hitting my sister." Kid said before he gave a hard kick to Justin's side. The boy doubled-over and groaned in pain. "That was for hitting Miss Albarn." Kid turned away and, taking Maka's hand, the two ran off. Justin shouted threats of revenge behind them, but they ignored the empty words and the strange looks they received as they ran hand in hand down the street.

A few blocks later they came to a rest. Maka leaned over, placing her hands on her knees as she gasped for air. Kid was still strangely composed, fixing his clothes and hair as he waited for the girl to catch her breath.

"T-Thank…you! Thank...you! Thank…sniff…you!" Maka started crying, furiously wiping at her eyes. She was embarrassed, she was ashamed and she wanted to hold her head high and walk away with some dignity, but she was just so relieved. Damn her pride she needed to let this out. And, surprisingly, Kid was quiet as he allowed her to.

After a moment Maka composed herself and looked up at him.

"Thank you." She repeated.

"No problem. I had a personal vendetta against that guy anyway." Kid said nonchalantly. "I told you to stay away from him."

"How do you know him? Something about your sister?"

"Yeah, my sister dated him for a while and he used to hit her. It took a long time for her finally leave him, but she finally grew a brain. I never had the chance to get him back." Kid said, opening the box to check on his doughnuts. He must not have liked what he saw because he quickly closed it with a severely annoyed look. Maka gave a sad smile as she said,

"Sorry for not listening."

"Hopefully you'll learn faster than her."

"I'm not dating Justin!" She quickly exclaimed and Kid raised an eyebrow.

"Okay…" He said and Maka gave an embarrassed laugh.

"So, wanna come to my house?" She finally offered and both of Kid's eyebrows shot up.

"Really? No biting my head off? You'll really work on the project with me?"

"It's not like I want to fail either!" Maka exclaimed again and flushed when Kid laughed.

"Are you always this loud?"

"Shut up." She muttered as she turned in the direction of the condo. "By the way, what are the doughnuts for? What a strange thing to buy from a bakery."

"Doughnuts are perfectly symmetrical pastries and Sweet Tooth makes an even layer of frosting on it. They're amazing." Kid said, but his face scrunched up as he glanced down at his box, "Well maybe not this batch."

"So you really like doughnuts or something?" Maka laughed, realizing that Kid had his quirks too.

"Not particularly. I actually got these for you."

"For me?" Maka asked, turning to look at him in surprise.

"Well, for your family."

"M-My family?" Maka asked, not following at all. "How did you know you would be coming to my house?"

"I didn't. I planned on following you home and offering the doughnuts to your parents." Kid said coolly and, despite finding what he said slightly creepy, she began to laugh.

"Stalker." She giggled and Kid gave a small smile beside her.

.

Soul sat on the sofa, his fingers interlaced as he thought. What would he tell Maka? _Should _he tell Maka? No, of course he should tell her. This was her mother for crying out loud. He couldn't keep such big news from her.

There was the sound of a key in the lock and Soul quickly stood. He would embrace her, kiss her, tell her he loved her and then he would give her the news. He didn't want to see her cry. He really hoped she didn't cry.

He heard laughter and walked into the foyer to see Maka standing there with a stranger. Soul stopped in his tracts and stared. His eyes immediately fell on Maka's face. Swollen, red and tear-stained. Soul had never been a rational thinker, preferring to act on instincts instead. And all he could understand was that Maka was hurt and there was another man in his home. One plus one equals murder.

Soul saw red.

He immediately rushed out and grabbed the boy by his shirt, practically lifting him off the ground.

"What the fuck did you do?" Soul hissed to an unfazed Kid.

"Soul stop! This is my classmate, he saved me!" Maka said frantically, tugging at Soul's shirt.

"Who did that to you then?"

"Justin did it, Soul! It was Justin." Maka's eyes were tearing up and Soul cursed himself for making her cry before he even delivered the news. He set the boy down and turned to Maka, placing an affectionate hand on her face.

"I'll kill him. I swear I'll kill him." He cooed, as if the words were supposed to make her feel better.

"No, you can't kill him. But I won't stop you from kicking his ass if you meet him in a dark alley." Maka joked and Soul leaned down to place a kiss on her swollen cheek. Maka blushed, momentarily forgetting about Kid at the sensation of Soul's soft lips on her throbbing skin.

"Ahem."

Maka suddenly jerked away and looked at Kid, a panicked look on her face.

"Ah…um…Kid this is—" Maka stammered nervously.

"Soul Evans, CEO of Evans Enterprise." Kid said factually.

"Hn? Do I know you?" Soul asked in an apathetic tone. What he really wanted to ask was what this guy was doing in _his_ home.

"Maybe not personally, but you're pretty familiar with someone else in my family."

"Oh? And who is that?"

"My sister, Elizabeth Thompson."

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Please, just help me out." Spirit begged. "She's in trouble and every second that we waste talking horrible things could be happening to her."

"Sorry, Spirit, but that girl is no longer any of my concern. I'm perfectly happy with my life right now and I will not get involved."

"You're so selfish! Just because I hurt you doesn't mean you have to take your anger out on her!"

"Unless I have something to gain from this, I will not help."

"I have nothing to offer!" Spirit cried.

An amused laugh, "There is nothing you have that I would want. However, I'm sure that girl has met some interesting people while working in that cabaret. I could use that to my advantage."

"What?" Spirit asked, not following.

The woman waved her hand away in an annoyed fashion, "I will think about it."

"Please think quickly! There is no way I can face her again until I have a way to save her."

The woman laughed coldly at this and said, "If you had loved me even half as much as you love that child we might still be together."

"I admit that I cheated on you, but let's not forget who did it first."

She laughed again and got out of her seat, deciding she would be the one to walk away again. As she reached the door she looked over her shoulder at the pitiful man that was knelt before her desk and said, "My affair was the best thing in your life. Afterall, that's how you got your precious "daughter"."

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

Sorry for that terrible wait. My computer attacked me and made me spill my coffee on it. With all the fees that went toward the funeral and the emotional toil it took on me, it was a while before I was ready to move on. But, alas, I finally got a new laptop and we are in a stable relationship.

Now, about the story. I'm not worried about the sexual content in my stories, but thank you all for the concern. As I wrote this chapter I think I went in a direction I had no intention of taking, but I'll just ride the wave and see where it takes me. It should be interesting for all of us.


	12. You're Devious

**Worlds Apart**

**Chapter 12: You're Devious**

**-SimplyPocky-**

Maka slyly lifted her head from the paper she was writing and glanced at Soul. He was seated at his usual spot at their kitchen table, munching on a doughnut and glaring at their uninvited guest. Maka let out a small sigh and turned her attention to Kid. He did not seem to notice the death looks he was receiving, or if he did, he did not care. He continued to scribble away and Maka let out another sigh. This was getting ridiculous.

"U-um, maybe we should stop here for today." Maka finally spoke up.

"I think that's a great idea. Children should go home before it gets too late." Soul said coldly.

"Then should I walk Miss Albarn home?" Kid offered, clearly speaking to Soul, but directing the question to Maka.

"T-This is my home…" Maka muttered.

"Oh? A teenage girl living with one of the most elite businessmen in Death City, how..._scandalous_." Kid teased and Maka's face went red. Suddenly Soul was standing up, leaning over the table and furiously glaring at Kid. The boy only arched an eyebrow and Soul's anger flared.

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Soul growled.

"I'm not the one you should be worried about, Mr. Evans."

"I'm not worried, I just don't like to be inconvenienced."

"You _should_ be worried. You might be able to come out unscathed, but you should think of Miss Albarn. She won't be so lucky."

Soul's hands clenched into fists and Maka nervously bit her lip. She had never seen him so anxious before. So….weak.

"Who do I have to be worried of?" He finally asked.

Kid smirked, "You should know how frightening a hurt woman can be, Mr. Evans. My sister is not at all happy that you were taken away from her."

"I was never hers." Soul said, sparing a glance at Maka who was staring down at her lap and twiddling her thumbs. The last thing she wanted to hear about was Elizabeth Thompson and her past relationship with Soul. Maka didn't like her own petty jealousy, but she couldn't deny that she wanted to monopolize Soul and the thought of any other woman who wanted to do the same really upset her.

"I believe she thinks otherwise, Mr. Evans. My sister has a one track mind and once she's made it up to do something she'll never stop. She'll either find a way to win you back or get rid of the person that took you from her," Kid looked at Maka when he said this, taking note of the dejected look on her face. He cleared his throat nervously, deciding that he had said enough. "Well, she's not the brightest woman, I'm sure you'll think of something. See you tomorrow, Miss Albarn."

"See you tomorrow." Maka muttered. She listened as Kid walked down the hallway and heard the door open and shut. When he was gone Soul moved in front of her. Placing a hand on the table he leaned down to try to catch her gaze that was still directed at her lap.

"Don't worry about that woman. Nothing is going to keep me away from you."

"Even if that's true, it's exhausting having to deal with so much opposition. If it's not my age it's my status. We're really not meant for each other, Soul."

"HEY!"

Soul's sudden shout caused Maka to jump and she finally looked up at him.

"Don't talk like that. You're stronger than this, Maka. You're the girl that doesn't take shit from anyone and I could really use that girl now. I'm dealing with a lot of stuff too and this Liz-crap is not helping. I need you to stay strong and not to give up on me," He grabbed her chin and leaned down to kiss her gently.

"Okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Sorry, momentary lapse of weakness."

"That's my girl. I'm going to go shower now. How about we go out to eat tonight?"

"Okay, you owe me a meal anyway."

Soul laughed as he disappeared down the hallway. Maka leaned back in her seat and tried to collect herself. Things were getting more complicated, but she would not falter. Maka had come a long way since meeting Soul and she was not going to let some spoiled bitch that didn't know when to give up take her boyfriend from her.

But she had to be careful. Although Soul he seemed nonchalant most of the time, he still had an image to uphold. If she wanted to get rid of Elizabeth she needed a subtle way of doing it. It was time to put her brain to work. Maka knew Liz had something dirty up her sleeves and if she was going to play like that, Maka would play twice as hard. She was not going down without a fight.

With new resolve, Maka pulled out her phone and dialed the only other person she could consider a friend.

"_Hello? Maka, is something wrong?"_

"Hey, Tsubaki, I have a favor to ask."

.

.

.

Kami Hepburn tiredly stepped into her home, slamming the door shut behind her. She had had a long day.

"Welcome home Mrs. Hepburn."

Kami ignored the maid and shucked off her jacket, tossing it to the waiting woman. She also handed over her briefcase and made her way to the stairs. She needed a bath- a long, hot bubble bath, and a glass of wine. Maybe some music too. Anything to get her mind off of her earlier conversation with her ex-husband.

.

.

_Kami was feeling quite satisfied with herself. Even if her words were a punch below the belt, they had successfully subdued her husband who looked utterly hurt._

_She was walking down the hallway, on her way to the elevator when she heard the quick stomping of feet behind her. She turned and saw Spirit behind her, a furious look on his face._

"_You can hate me all you want, Kami, but don't take it out on Maka. That's not fair."_

"_She is of no concern of mine."_

"_She's your daughter!"_

"_I only have one daughter. Arthur only wanted one child."_

"_You're a terrible person, Kami."_

"_Then why are you begging for help from such a terrible person?" She asked with a smirk._

"_I'm not begging anymore. You _will_ help me."_

"_Oh, I will?" She said with mock surprise, arching an eyebrow._

"_Yes, don't underestimate me, Kami. Let's not forget what I did before I became a measly school teacher."_

_Kami's smile dropped and she swallowed audibly._

"_I-Is that a threat?" Her voice was a little higher than normal._

"_No, it's a promise. You help Maka or I will ruin this new life of yours."_

"_Do what you have to, Spirit. I wouldn't help you if my "life" depended on it."_

_._

_._

But she regretted her words, she regretted walking away. She should have just swallowed her pride. She didn't want to help that man, but she couldn't help but wonder what he had planned.

"Welcome home, Mother."

Kami looked up and, on the top floor, she saw an annoyed blonde girl waiting for her. Her arms were crossed, a peeved look on her face, her golden hair tied into a high ponytail. She was gorgeous, in a pompous sort of way, with looks similar to her sister, but an attitude that was the exact opposite.

"Hello, love, how was your day?"

"Dreadful. Mother, do I really need to go to that awful poor people school tomorrow?"

"It's not a "poor people school" and unless you want to wake up at four o'clock every morning to go to that private school outside of the city, I suggest you stop complaining."

"Well someone had a bad day. No need for the cheeky attitude." Anya grumbled as her mother reached the top of the stairs.

"Sorry, Sweetie, mommy's just a bit tired. I'm going to wash up and then you can tell me about your day over some tea. Sound good?"

"Fine," Anya huffed and retreated to her room.

Kami retreated to her room also and she had barely sat down on her bed when her phone rang. She half expected it to be her husband telling her that he would not be home tonight, but she was surprised when it was an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"_Yes, may I speak to the lovely Kami Albarn."_

Kami could have sworn her heart stopped and she yanked the phone from her ear to check the screen again. When it still revealed 'unknown number' she placed it back on her ear and, in a shaky voice, replied,

"E-Excuse me, this is Kami _Hepburn_."

"_Hep-burn? No, I must have the wrong number. The Kami that I know is still married to my dear friend, Spirit_."

"Who is this?" Kami growled into the phone.

"_I believe I should be asking that_." The voice on the phone continued to tease, but Kami was far from laughing.

"Tell me who this is right now!" She nearly shouted.

_"I see that short-temper of yours hasn't changed. It's me, Kami, Stein, your old friend!_" He said cheerfully, but was met with a shriek that hurt his ears. Kami dropped the phone and clutched at her chest. She was having a heart attack, she was hallucinating, she was suffering from hearing-problems. She needed to calm down; someone was just playing a prank on her. A cruel, cruel prank.

She picked the phone back up again and heard the voice speaking; it was like a stab at her heart. His voice, his damned voice. She never wanted to hear it again and, yet, she prayed he would never hang up.

"_Kami? Kami, are you still there, love_?"

"I'm here. How did you get this number?"

"_Ah, nothing a little _investigating_ can't find. How have you been, Kami_?"

"Why are you calling me?"

"_Kami, I'm appalled. I just called to see how you have been doing. Apparently not so well since you and Spirit have divorced. Tell me, did he find out about the girls?_"

"You son of a bitch, how dare you bring that up after all these years."

"_I saw them today, both of them, and in the most nostalgic place. Remember that bakery, Sweet Tooth, the one you, me and Spirit used to go to all the time? One of them works there, she looks so much like you. I saw the other too, she looks more like me, but I don't know where she got such a rotten personality from_." He was rambling and Kami was fuming.

"Did you speak to her?"

"_Yes, I asked her for a cheese danish. She's such a sweet girl, hard-working too._"

"Not. Her. I'm talking about Anya."

"_Oh the snobby one? Well, I said hello to her, but she just stuck her nose in the air and ignored me._"

"As well she should. Stay away from my daughter, Stein."

"_Daughters._" He tried to correct.

"Stay away from Anya."

"_As I remember you had twins and, as different as they may be, I think a mother should love her daughters equally_."

"That girl is not my child."

_"Apparently I _have_ missed a lot in my absence._"

"Don't try to catch up. I'm hanging up now."

"_Ah, then I guess I'll call up Spirit_."

"How about you tell him how you knocked me up."

"_I will, I also might call up Arthur Hepburn and make some insane accusations that perhaps his only child is really the daughter of the country's most famous neurosurgeon. Oh my, scandal._"

"Why are you doing this?" Kami whispered into the phone.

"_Doing what? I said 'might,' love. Just wanted to remind you that I'm still around._"

"As if I could forget about the stain on my life."

_"Tsk. Tsk. Well that's not nice. I'll see you around, Mrs. _Hep-burn_._"

And with a chuckle he hung up the phone. Kami nearly threw it across the room , but stopped herself. Instead, she calmly made another phonecall. So what if Stein was back in town. He wasn't going to run her out of her own city.

.

.

.

Stein's false smile fell as he dialed a new number into his phone. He waited as it rang and sighed in relief when the person finally answered,

"_Hello?_"

He missed the sound of his voice.

"Hey, Spirit, guess who?"

"STEIN!"

"Yeah, it's me. I'm back in town, wanna get a drink?"

**To Be Continued**

No excuse for the late update. I've been so preoccupied with other things and I was not in the mood for writing. Whenever I tried to force myself everything just came out terrible. This was actually my sixth attempt at deleting the entire chapter and rewriting. It was exhausting. There were a few more plot twists that I needed to throw out there that I was not able to cover in the last chapter.

Although what Spirit has "planned" (*cough cough* nothing) and what Stein has planned (*cough cough* I don't know yet) will probably be important to the plot, they will not have a major effect until later. Right not I'm focusing on Miss Elizabeth Thompson and, soon, Anya Hepburn. Two little ladies that have it out for Maka. Also, I'm so happy to introduce Stein into the story. Trust me everyone, he's on the good side, though he has a few things he's going to need to come clean about before he starts helping out.


End file.
